To Rise Again
by sUnKiSsT
Summary: Pre DH, AU. James never died that Halloween night. He's back, and he's going to help his son defeat Voldemort, whether Harry wants the help or not. UPDATED! CH26, Are the four alright? Did they survive the Death Eater's and the forest...? Find out!
1. Prologue

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: To address more concerns, I decided to alter the timeline, so that the year would be the same as ours now, it's just something I prefer to do. As for the Wolfsbane potion, I completely forgot to incorporate it into the previous chapter, when I later go in and edit everything, I will fix that. Thanks for the reviews!

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**To Rise Again**

_**Prologue **_

The night was still, the only light shining was from the moon and the twinkling stars overhead. Godrics Hollow had no street lamps, for there was only one house on the otherwise abandoned street, and it stood in ruins.

Young children thought the entire street haunted, and would never dare venture there. For at that very house, 16 years before, a murderer had come and killed the two people inside, and their son had been whisked away, never seen by any of the neighboring streets again.

In the past, construction workers had come to knock down the charred house, wanting to build a new one on top of it. Their attempts had been in vain, the house stayed as it was, amazingly resistant to even bulldozers. Many believed it to be some sort of black magic; others simply kept trying to destroy it.

Eventually, the contractors gave up, and what was supposed to be a prominent street of many homes diminished, nobody would buy a house beside one with such a gruesome tale, nor one that looked like death had swept through it.

To the side of the house on the once green lawn, stood two tombstones, each with an engraving upon them. They had mysteriously appeared 4 days after the attack had been made, but no one had seen the bodies of James and Lily buried there. What was odder was the fact that every week, even in the cold winter nights, two red roses always seemed to lay atop of the marble stones, never moving, never withering.

The houses on the streets closest to Godrics Hollow eventually came to the conclusion that someone replaced the flowers every night, when everyone was sleeping, and left it at that. They chose to live in ignorance, rather then wonder why the house, which should have collapsed on its own, did not even creak when a bulldozer smashed into it. The older residents on the street also chose to keep quiet the fact that the Potters had seemed very strange themselves, and in the weeks before their murder, had not once left the house.

If the residents thought that they had seen the strangest and last of all occurrences, they were very wrong, for something very odd was happening in one of the graves on Godrics Hollow, something very odd indeed.

Beneath the tombstone of James Potter, a man was screaming.

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**TBC**


	2. Two Fallen?

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: To address more concerns, I decided to alter the timeline, so that the year would be the same as ours now, it's just something I prefer to do. As for the Wolfsbane potion, I completely forgot to incorporate it into the previous chapter, when I later go in and edit everything, I will fix that. Thanks for the reviews!

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**To Rise Again**

_**Chapter 1- Two Fallen? **_

_October 31st, 1988_

Lily Potter was smiling, curled up in a ball on a comfy loveseat, drinking a mug of steaming tea and watching her young son play with a toy on the floor. Her vivacious red hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and her sparking green eyes were full of happiness.

Her little boy was perfect, just over a year old with a mop of messy black hair already prominent on his head. He kept giggling as he poked the toy on the floor, which would begin to dance around and sing when squeezed in the stomach. He was having the time of his life.

If times had of been better throughout the wizarding world, Lily's life would be absolutely perfect. Her eyes always clouded over when she thought about what was going on outside the house, all of the death and destruction, lies and deceit. Shaking her head before she got lost in recent memories, she looked back at her baby and laughed softly at his delight.

A few minutes later, she heard heavy footsteps walking down the hall, and turned just in time to see her husband walk into the room.

James grinned at his wife and strode past her, picking up his son quickly off the ground. Harry gave a small shriek of delight and stretched out one of his pudgy hands. Quick as a flash, he had snatched the glasses right off of James's face.

"What the…?" James said exasperatedly, using his free hand to get the glasses back. Harry let out another giggle of laughter and threw them into the air, they fell just out of their owners reach and landed on the coffee table, cracking one of the lenses.

Lily laughed as James handed Harry over to her and retrieved his glasses, grumbling as he quickly repaired them.

"Oh, you think that's funny, do you?" James said loudly, giving his wife a playful glare. When she didn't answer, he jumped onto the loveseat, and careful to avoid squishing his son, began to tickle her.

"S-Stop James! I won't l-laugh anymore!" She yelled, still giggling, she was extremely ticklish.

Harry continued to giggle after James had stopped and sat back.

"I can't wait to see what he's like in the future." James suddenly said, grinning down at his son.

"I just hope he isn't as arrogant as you!" Lily teased.

"Yeah, well if he ends up a prefect I will puke." James shot back.

"Oh shut up, James. There's nothing wrong with being a prefect." Lily continued.

A loud bang coming from the backdoor interrupted James' s reply. The two stood up quickly, James grabbing Harry with one arm and pulling out his wand with the other.

"He can't have…" Lily whispered as they made their way to the stairs quietly.

"Shhh…" James said softly.

They were halfway down the stairs when they heard it, a high pitched, evil laughing.

Both of the Potter's faces drained of color when they heard it, only one person had such a laugh…Tom Riddle.

"No…." Lily half cried, half whispered, "Please god no, how could he have gotten in?"

James was clenching his wand so hard his hand was starting to hurt. Only one person knew how to get inside their home, only one.

_Peter _

"Go Lily, take Harry and go, I'll hold him off as long as I can." James said urgently, pushing Harry into her arms.

"Don't be stupid, you'll be killed! I'll help you fight!" Lily whispered angrily, pulling out her wand, her emerald eyes glittering with determination.

"_No_! Listen to me, Harry needs you, if Voldemort kills me and you get away with him, it'll all be worth it. We've spoken about this before Lily, take and Harry and run."

Lily bit her bottom lip, she could hear explosions in the kitchen, _and he_ was getting closer. There was no time to argue anymore. She held out her arms for her son hesitantly, still wishing with every fiber in her body that she could help her husband.

James kissed his baby boy on his forehead and handed him over, he kissed his wife for what he was positive would be the last time, gave her a reassuring smile, whispered, "I love you both," and marched down the stairs.

Lily made a strangled noise somewhere in her throat, and hurried into her bedroom, shutting the door quietly and locking it. Setting Harry down in his crib, she looked out the window and saw two cloaked figures standing at the end of her driveway. _Dementors_ she thought horridly, they were guarding any means of escape.

Rushing back over to her son, she kissed him softly. She could taste salty water on her lips and realized that tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Don't worry baby, Daddy will protect us no matter what." She whispered, her voice shaking.

_I love you James…_

James shook himself, regaining his composure before he faced the most dark and evil wizard in history of mankind. Taking a deep breath, he threw himself into the kitchen, his wand pointed at the ready.

Voldemort turned swiftly, immediately shooting a curse at the equally tall man. His target side stepped out of its path; the curse instead hit a cupboard and burst into flames. "Get out of my house!" James bellowed bravely.

Voldemort chuckled softly; his dark eyes were gleaming with excitement. "Give me your son, Potter! I may spare the mudblood in return."

"You will _never_ touch my son you evil, twisted monster." James growled, firing off a curse quickly. It missed however, and Voldemort stood in all his glory, laughing like a maniac.

"It's useless trying to fight me Potter, I cannot be killed. Now give me the boy! Be smart like Peter, or what is it you call him? Wormtail isn't it? How cute." The reply came back quickly, sarcasm dripping off every word.

"I will die before I hand him over to you." James snapped, but he could feel his composure crumbling. _They're going to get out, Lily will protect him, they will make it out! _He kept thinking to himself, barely hearing what Voldemort was saying to him.

"Peter handed you over to me, and I spared his life, why don't you follow his example, _Prongs." _

"You may as well kill me then, because I will never hand over my family, _ever!_" James' voice shook with fury at the thought of his former friend; if he made it through this he would kill him.

"There is no point in killing you…no…you will be an excellent tool for later. However, if you don't get out of my way I will be forced to make you." Voldemort whispered, more to himself then anything.

James bit the inside of his lip. _What was he going on about? _"I will not let you kill my son that easily, nor my wife. _Crucio!" _He yelled.

Voldemort hardly flinched when the curse hit him, and had thrown it off almost immediately. "Fine, if you will not step aside quietly, I will silence you for a while, then return and turn you into what you are destined to become…a powerful and evil death eater!"

Before James could even attempt to protect himself, Voldemort had hit him with some sort of curse, and he was thrown heavily into the counter behind him, which cracked as he slid down onto the tiled floor.

James moaned in pain as he was hit with the cruciatus curse, all he could think about was his wife and son. _Get Harry out Lily…get him out…_He thought through the excruciating pain.

"AVADA KEDEVRA!" Voldemort screamed, but the curse did not hit James, and shot past his shoulder, disintegrating the cupboard.

_He could have hit me…why didn't he hit me? _

"I will see you very soon, James Potter. Don't worry; I won't torture them for very long." Voldemort whispered into his ear, _"Hyberanus!"_

"Noooo…Harry! Lily!" James cried as a creamy white light entered his body. Immediately, he felt a warmth flow through him, easing his aching body, his breathing slowed and his vision was turned blurry…soon the world faded from his vision, and he heard the distant screams of his wife as the dark wizard made his way up the stairs.

_I failed them, oh god I failed them…I'm so sorry…Lily…Harry…_James thought to himself sadly as he fought against the drowsiness enveloping him. He fell sideways on the ground, his breath stopped as his heart froze in mid-beat, and then there was nothing but darkness.

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**TBC**


	3. The Werewolf Discovers

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: To address more concerns, I decided to alter the timeline, so that the year would be the same as ours now, it's just something I prefer to do. As for the Wolfsbane potion, I completely forgot to incorporate it into the previous chapter, when I later go in and edit everything, I will fix that. Thanks for the reviews!

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**To Rise Again**

_**Chapter 2- The Werewolf Discovers**_

_July 31st, 2005_

Remus Lupin looked at his mantle and sighed heavily. It was 3 hours until Harry's birthday, and the full moon. The orb had not yet emerged from the silvery wisps of cloud; it was taunting him, torturing him. He had taken the wolfsbane potion though, and reassured himself with the thought that he would be harmless to other beings.

Transformations had become increasingly painful over the last few months; from what he was sure was stress. Between Dumbledore's death, Harry's determination to visit the Hollow and the faster rising power of Tom Riddle, he was completely exhausted.

Today had not exactly been a relaxing day either; he had woken at 5am to go to the Burrow, to get things ready for Bill and Fleurs wedding. It did have its rewards though, watching a fully healed Bill Weasley marry a beautiful, prominent women, had been quite the experience.

A lot of high security people had attended; many people from the Order, people who worked at the ministry and Hogwarts, and of course, Harry Potter. There were aurors surrounding the entire grounds, underneath invisibility cloaks, making sure no unwanted visitors made surprise appearances. Luckily everything had gone smoothly, and indeed, it had been a moment of peace and happiness.

Bill and Fleur were not on their way to a romantic honeymoon though, there simply was no time. They were both needed at the Order. He only hoped that the two of them survived this impending war so that they could go on the vacation of their dreams.

Lupin peered out his curtains and sighed again, it wouldn't be much longer now. He had had to leave early, not wanting to risk transforming during the evening celebrations, not everyone there new what he was.

_May as well sit down and wait…_He thought to himself, resting in a cozy arm chair and staring at the fire. He had been thinking a lot about Harry the past couple of weeks. The raven haired boy had been quite subdued at the wedding, but his eyes had a look of determination in them. Hermione and Ron hadn't been very loud either, and even though they were at a wedding, seemed quite strained.

Lupin himself had a very nasty feeling in stomach, for a few weeks now, and it had nothing to do with his impending transformation. He highly suspected that once Harry turned 17, he would be leaving immediately on his quest to destroy Voldemort, maybe even with Hermione and Ron in tow.

The three new something about the dark wizard, and were refusing to tell anyone what it was. Everyone knows that it is the key to destroy the dark lord, but that is all. Not even Molly could get it out of her son, nor could Fred and George, who had a habit of eavesdropping on the trios conversations.

Suddenly, Remus felt a very sharp pain in his back, and instantly identified why, the moon had finally revealed itself. It was nearing 10:30; the moon was very late this month. Remus moaned in agony as his body went rigid. _Almost there…_

Finally, the pains stopped and Remus lay in a heap on the floor, panting heavily. Where once a man had stood, a wolf lay. The large animal slowly stood on all fours and shook himself before crawling back up into a ball by the hearth. _May as well get some sleep, god knows I need it. _Remus thought, closing his eyes.

The mantle chimed twelve and the wolf's head rose quickly. Usually when he woke, it was because he was about to turn back into a human again. _What the hell? Will I ever get some sleep? _He thought, exasperated. He sat on his haunches, and soon found himself pacing the room. What had woken him so suddenly? That's when he remembered the dream…James. His friend had been screaming, crying for help, from the coffin which he currently lay in.

Remus did not know what made him do it, but all of a sudden he found himself leaping through his open window, and tearing down the deserted street. His large paws moved him very quickly. The Hollow was about 60 minutes away on foot. Luckily, werewolves moved extremely fast, and he would be there in fewer than 30. He felt compelled to visit the grave of his friend.

He passed only one person on his way, a drunken muggle teenager whom laughed hysterically as he swept past. Apparently, an abnormally sized wolf running down a street full of houses was comical.

The wolf was glistening with sweat, but Remus was not tired, yet. Adrenaline kept him going. _I must be losing it, James is dead…it was just a dream, Remus! _Yet he did not stop or turn back, but kept on forwards.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity had passed, he was rounding the street that led to Godrics Hollow. Within seconds, he was in plain sight of it, and ran even faster. He bypassed the charred house and was at James's grave in a flash. Now panting heavily, with his tongue hanging out, he lay down on top of the mound and waited for something, anything to happen.

There had to be a reason why he was here. He sniffed the ground half heartedly and whined. A few minutes later, when he was beginning to doubt his own instincts, he heard a muffled noise from underneath him. He pricked his ears for the sound again, and thanks to his super sensitive hearing, heard the muffled cry of a man below him. _Oh my god…it can't be, he's supposed to be dead. He's been in the ground for 16 years! _But he heard it yet again, the plea for help below him.

Letting out an almighty howl, Remus dug his paws into the earth, tearing away at the grass, digging down to the very coffin. He remembered exactly how deep he was buried; only about 4.5 feet, for a spell had been placed so the coffin would not budge from that place, nor decompose over time.

The screaming became even louder as he dug deeper, and he could recognize the voice as James's. After he had dug about 3 feet, he could hear his friends' cries become even weaker, hoarser. He was running out of air, fast.

_Oh god hang on James, hang on! _Remus let out another reassuring howl; he knew that James would recognize it as his own. Finally, after an hour and a half of extremely labored digging, he reached the mahogany coffin. He clawed away at it desperately, weakening its seal. The wood cracked, and he could hear his friend sucking in the air like it was the sweetest thing on Earth.

The wolf leapt out of the hole and lay down, sweat was literally dripping off of his dirt covered coat, and his tongue lolled to the side as he panted heavily. He watched in amazement as the man he thought dead for 16 years burst out of his coffin, look at him and say, "Oh my god, Moony? What the _hell_ happened to me!" In a very weak, strangled voice.

Remus stared at James and kept thinking that this had to be a dream, he had seen James buried, had placed a rose on the coffin!

James felt very weak, and found it very hard to stand. He climbed out the hole slowly, and collapsed on the dry grass. He was dressed in his finest set of black robes, and could feel his wand in his pocket.

Remus let out a low whine and sat beside him, his dark eyes never leaving the man before him. It was plain that James was emotionally exhausted, and he still had no clue that Lily was dead, nor that he had been in the ground for the past 16 years.

A second later, Prongs had passed out.

Remus whined again and curled up beside him, thinking that it was probably better this way. When James awoke he would be human again, and they would be able to communicate much easier.

James awoke several hours later. The moon was waning above him, and the sleeping wolf beside him stirred a little.

The tall man reached out and petted his matted fur, still trying to comprehend what had happened. He peered over the hole and looked at his now splintered coffin and shuddered. _How long have I been in there?_ He wondered darkly. He new that people must have thought him dead, that Voldemort had murdered him with that weird curse.

It was then he remembered…

_Lily_

He turned to his right slowly, afraid of what he would see. There it was, the gravestone of his beautiful, talented wife. He let out a loud scream as it dawned on him. She hadn't made it out in time…Voldemort had murdered her. An indescribable pain was coursing through him; he had lost her to that bastard. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!" He roared to the sky, pulling out his wand and shooting red sparks into the air.

Moony barked, woke up and moved closer to his friend, wishing that they could speak about this and all that had happened.

James looked over at Remus; his hazel eyes were bright with tears of despair. "Moony…he killed her…oh god, what will I do now? That means…that means he got Harry too, but there isn't a grave. Didn't you guys bury my little boy?"

Remus was not able to answer, or do anything at the moment. The full moon had finally gone from the misty sky, to be replaced with sun, and he was starting to turn back into his true form.

James calmed himself down enough to notice that his friend looked very different from a few days ago. Once the wolf had become a man, it was obvious to see that he looked like he had aged 15 years, 20 even.

His once full face looked more sunken in, and his hair was faded and thin. The Only thing that seemed the same was the torn robes, which were always ruined at the full moon. Before he could comment on this drastic change however, Remus had strode over and pulled him into a bone cracking hug. "This is a damn miracle…" He heard him mumble before releasing him.

"Remus, what the hell happened…all I can remember is Voldemort performing some weird curse on me, and then I woke up in that pitch black coffin…" James whispered, he had started to shake slightly.

"Explanations will come later; we need to get you out of here before people see. We'll take the knight bus, and disguise you…we can't apparate, you're too weak and I can't handle it right after a transformation." Remus said hoarsely.

"My son…where is my son…Remus, where's Harry?" James said urgently, barely hearing what his friend had said.

"I don't want to explain everything here, we need to get you out of sight and contact the Order. Listen to me James! If the community finds out you just rose from the dead, pandemonium will break loose, the death eaters will be on the march! We need to get out of here, now." Lupin said, his eyes were full of worry.

James was extremely confused, but at the moment he just wanted to know one thing. "Moony…tell me what happened to Harry and I'll save everything else for later."

Remus frowned and said slowly, "He made it out James, no one knows how…Voldemort preformed the death curse, but it rebounded and hit its owner. He's at Molly and Arthur Weasley's house."

James felt his jaw drop in shock, his son had survived and his wife had perished. "But…what about Sirius…why isn't he with Sirius?"

"James, there's no more time we have to go, it's nearly 5am. I promise everything will be sorted out. Now you're going to have to disguise yourself, I obviously don't have my wand." Lupin said quickly, looking down the street. Godrics Hollow was always deserted, but you couldn't be too careful.

James felt extremely frustrated, he wanted badly to see his baby boy, and to have everything else answered, but he had made his promise. Pointing his wand at himself, he mumbled a few choice words, and a second later he was sporting green eyes and chestnut hair. He also changed the look of his glasses as an afterthought.

"Alright let's get to the edge of the road and summon the knight bus."

James walked slowly with his friend, his legs felt like jelly, like they hadn't been used in a long time. Once they had reached the end of the road, he hesitated with his wand and looked back. His once big and beautiful house was in ruins, a lump began to form in his throat when he thought of who he had lost.

Lily lay all alone in the cold Earth, beside his dug up grave. He pointed his wand at the hole and filled it up again, smoothing it out. He stared at the two marble stones and a tear slipped unnoticed down his cheek.

She was gone; he would never see her again. He couldn't save her.

"God Remus, she was only 22 for Christ sake. Her whole life was ahead of her." He said, his voice mixed with anguish and anger.

"I know Prongs, I know…" Remus whispered back.

After a few seconds, James cleared his throat, wiped away his stray tears, and flung out his wand arm.

The purple, triple decker bus arrived within seconds. No one jumped out of the bus to greet them, so they boarded quickly.

"I'm Ernie, and I'll be your driver tonight. Just drop your money into that little thing there, and we'll be on our way." The stout and very old man said wearily.

Remus silently thanked god that he had managed to keep hold of the money in his robes during the course of the night and deposited it exactly where he man had pointed.

"Where'll you be going then? We only have 2 other people to drop off, and then it's your turn."

"To Wolfforth please." Lupin said quickly.

The two men made there way to some nearby seats and sat down. A Daily Prophet was curled up on the window ledge, and James immediately grabbed for it. His face instantly went chalk white.

**The Daily Prophet July 31st, 2005**

_DEATH EATERS RAID MUGGLE TOWN EAST OF SURREY. Pg 3-4_

_VOLDEMORT IS RUMOURED TO BE RESIDING SOMEWHERE BY HOGESMEAGE. Pg 1-2_

_AUROR EVAN DELMONT IS REPORTED AS MISSING, FOUL PLAY IS SUSPECTED. Pg 5_

_-Jason Tugal Reports_

"Sixteen years? Remus…I've been underground for SIXTEEN YEARS?" James said, his voice high.

"I promise I'll tell you everything once we get to my place, and then we can ask all the questions we want. Please James, don't freak out until we're clear on everything. I myself don't understand all of it."

James fell silent, but he felt sick. Today would be his only sons 17th birthday, today his son came of age…and he had missed his entire childhood. Questions were spinning around in his head at top speed, and the constant motion of the bus wasn't helping.

Next thing he new, he was leaning over and vomiting on the floor. Remus was standing behind him, patting his back and cleaning up the mess at the same rate it was coming out of his mouth.

Remus sighed as he cleaned up the mess with James's wand, he was overjoyed that his friend was alive, but he knew that the next couple of weeks would be the toughest of the mans life.

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**TBC**


	4. Harry's Life In A Nutshell

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: To address more concerns, I decided to alter the timeline, so that the year would be the same as ours now, it's just something I prefer to do. As for the Wolfsbane potion, I completely forgot to incorporate it into the previous chapter, when I later go in and edit everything, I will fix that. Thanks for the reviews!

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**To Rise Again**

_**Chapter 3- Harry's Life in a Nutshell**_

Ernie looked over his seat owlishly. "Don't think nothing of it, happens all the time, oddly enough."

James wiped his mouth and slouched back in his seat.

Ernie continued to look at the pair of men, completely ignoring where he was driving.

"You look familiar, you got a brother maybe? Or a son? Hmm, I'm sure I've seen someone with the exact same hair." Ernie said thoughtfully.

James shifted uncomfortably, and Remus was wringing his hands in his lap. "Must just be coincidence." Remus said as calmly as he could.

"Ah, I suppose. Wish Stan was here…he'd be able to remember, much younger than me. Damn ministry…" He said more to himself as he turned around.

"Remus…" James whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah?"

"I can't believe I didn't think of this before but…how on earth did you manage not to attack me earlier. I mean…if I was a stag it would be one thing." James said slowly, frowning.

Remus smiled wanly. "A potion was created about 5 years ago; it keeps me completely harmless if I take it before the moon appears. I have my own mind."

"I see…well that's good…" James said softly, he still couldn't believe what had happened; it was just way too much to comprehend.

Fifteen minutes later, the two found themselves standing outside Remus's house. The sun was almost all the way raised; it had to be at least 7am.

Remus unlocked the front door and ushered James inside. He then showed him into the living room and strode across the area to the window, he had left it open all night. He turned to his fireplace and immediately noticed that the fire had burnt itself out.

"Take a seat, I'm going to change into something that isn't ripped to hell, then we can talk, ok?"

James nodded silently and sunk into one of the chairs by the window, trying to relax his trembling figure. He wanted to scream, laugh, cry and throw something all at once. Most of all though, he wanted to see his son.

Lupin returned a couple of minutes later, and sat opposite of his friend. "Alright, tell me exactly what happened that night."

James took a deep breath and recounted what had seemed to have happened only yesterday. When he finally finished, he noticed that his friend's brow was deeply lined in thought. "So…what do you think?" He asked inquiringly.

"Do you remember what curse he hit you with, the one that made you so sleepy?" Lupin asked slowly.

"Umm, all I can remember is him yelling _Hyberanus!" _James replied.

Lupin rubbed his chin, attempting to force his mind into remembering what exact curse that was. Suddenly on a brave wave, he strode over to his bookshelf and pulled one out, an old and dusty dark arts book that was falling apart.

James waited impatiently; he was never one to wait for much. His mind kept straying back to his wife, and his son. About half an hour of silence passed between them, and it was then broken by Lupin's loud gasp of, "Oh my god James, _look!" _

James quickly crossed the room and looked over his friends shoulder.

_The Hibernating Spell_

_A spell in which the victim will fall into a sort of dead but alive state. The spell freezes the body, like the freezing of time, giving the victim a look non other than a deceased person. The body does not age, or require nutrients of any kind. A very complex spell which is illegal in Britain, and one which only an extremely dark wizard could conjure. _

"But that doesn't explain why I was under it for so long, or why I suddenly just woke up." James said, still puzzled.

"There's more, look." Lupin stated, turning the page.

James scanned the literature again.

_This spell can only be lifted by its creator. If perhaps the creator is injured or weakened after casting the spell, it will be and can only be lifted once the creator has gained the exact amount of strength he or she had at such a time as it was placed. If the creator dies, so does the victim under the spell. _

James shivered. "So that means Voldemort is at the exact same power as he was sixteen years ago…but…this doesn't make any sense. I thought the death curse hit him; wouldn't that mean I died with him? Moony I'm so confused, those papers said he's still alive…oh god my head hurts."

"Do you want to go and lay down for a bit? I have some headache potion if you want some." Lupin asked, concerned.

"I've been sleeping for 16 years, and I'll ignore the headache. I want explanations, and I want to know about my son's life. Does he live with Sirius? Did he grow up okay?" James rattled on.

Lupin sighed lightly and said, "James if you insist on getting the full story now, then I'm going to tell it from the beginning. Let me make us a pot of tea first though, this is going to take a few hours I imagine."

James nodded and sat back down, leaning into the comfort of the loveseat, waiting impatiently for his friend.

Lupin carried the tea tray back into the living room carefully, setting the silver down slowly so that nothing would spill. He sat opposite of James and took a gulp out of his mug. After setting it back down he said, "Alright…it's not really my place to tell you everything about Harry's life; after all, it's his story to tell. I'll begin with what happened right after your house was destroyed. I know you're going to have questions that want to be answered, but don't interrupt okay? It's a long story and some of it is going to be well…really hard to digest. Now, are you sure you want to hear all of this? You've only been back for a short time and Lily…well the thought of her is going to be powerful enough…I don't want to overwhelm you."

James forced a feeble smile, he would mourn for his wife for a long time, but right now he _needed_ to understand everything that had happened, maybe he wouldn't feel so helpless…something a Potter wasn't used to feeling. "Yes Remus, I need to know everything, please tell me every detail." He said a little eagerly but apprehensively at the same time.

Lupin started to talk, he told James how Sirius had found the house in ruins and had wanted to take Harry, but how Hagrid had orders from Dumbledore to bring him to Private Drive. (James had turned slightly red with anger, but kept his mouth shut). He spoke of how Sirius was sent to Azkaban for betraying the Potters, and how only Sirius at the time new the secret keeper had been switched.

"Harry stayed there for 10 years, then Dumbledore sent him his Hogwarts letter, numerous of them actually, and your son came for his first year. You'll be happy to know that he is a Gryffindor, and he made the quidditch team as a seeker, the youngest one in a century. He met Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, they're all best friends. Near the end of that year, the three discovered that Voldemort was trying to steal the elixir of life, which was located in the school. The three went to face Voldemort on their own…nobody really took them seriously so they took matters into their own hands…from what I got from Harry and Dumbledore, they got separated and Harry faced Voldemort alone. Dumbledore got their just in time to save him and the elixir."

Remus stopped, watching his friend's reaction carefully. "Shall I go on?"

James had gone from red to pale, but nodded yes, his hands clenched.

"Do you remember the Chamber of Secrets? Well it was opened in Harry's next year, and the creature inside was attacking all muggle born students. None of them were killed, just petrified. Well the three discovered what was behind the attacks and where it was hiding. Ron's little sister was taken captive, so he and Ron went after her. All I really can tell you is that Harry managed to kill the creature, which turned out to be a basilisk, and rescue Ginny.'

"Harry killed a giant, poisonous snake that kills you when you look at it in the eye, by _himself at age twelve?"_ James croaked.

"Yeah, but there's a lot more that happened to him, he has a knack for trouble."

"Tell me more."

"Well Sirius broke out of Azkaban when Harry was 13. Of course, everyone thought he was out to kill Harry, so he was protected enormously. Like I said though, he has a knack for trouble. So yes they met up in the shrieking shack at the end of the year, I was there, coincidently I was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Sirius found Peter; it was Ron Weasley's rat. I didn't even realize Sirius was innocent until that moment. He was almost cleared, and Harry was anxious to move in with him…but Peter escaped, and Sirius was forced to run for his life.

His fourth year…well that's a year he will never forget. I'll let him give you the details but basically, Voldemort kidnapped him with the help of Peter. The slimy rat actually went back to him. Voldemort was restored to his body after 3 years of attempt. He tortured Harry and killed Cedric Diggory, another student that was accidentally taken with him. He then forced Harry to duel him. Its unbelievable James, Harry was actually able to hold him off and escape, with Diggory's body. Also, some more people found out about how Padfoot was innocent."

James was leaning back into his chair now; he couldn't believe the absolute hell his son had been through at the hands of that evil, twisted bastard.

"Harry and a group of friends faced off with Voldemort and his death eaters again in his fifth year; he was lured into a trap so that Voldemort could obtain the prophecy about the both of them in the Department of Mysteries. By this time the Order of the Phoenix had been reinstated, and as soon as we heard we rushed to the Ministry. Sirius…he insisted on coming because he was sick of hiding at headquarters. He...he was fighting his cousin Bellatrix, oh god James I'm sorry, he was killed. Padfoot is dead." Remus whispered, it was extremely hard to hold back his tears, especially when he saw the look of grief on his friends face.

James buried his head in his hands and tried not to cry. "Oh god, Lily and Sirius…oh god no."

"M-Maybe we should stop here, I shouldn't have told you so much…"

"No, tell me about Harry's sixth year…"

Remus took a deep breath to steady his voice. "I don't really know much about what happened to Harry at school, it was kept very quiet. The ministry was busy trying to keep tabs on Voldemort and his followers, and let Dumbledore take care of Hogwarts. I know that Harry had private lessons with Albus, and that he was told some things about the prophecy, stuff he still refuses to tell anyone but Ron and Hermione. Towards the end of the year a trap was set…a trap for Dumbledore, by Lucius Malfoys son, Draco. Death eaters obtained passage into the school, but the aurors were ready for them. There was a huge fight…I don't know where Dumbledore and Harry had been but they came back to the school in the middle of it. Draco managed to disarm Dumbledore, who had been obviously weakened at some point during his trip with Harry, but when it came down to it, Malfoy didn't kill the headmaster…Severus Snape killed Dumbledore…Harry witnessed it under your invisibility cloak, Dumbledore had cast a freezing charm on him seconds before he was disarmed in order to protect him."

James suddenly stood up quickly; his face was completely drained of color. "That bastard, Dumbledore trusted that grease ball and look what he did to him! I can't believe Dumbledore was able to trust him after he sold Lily and I out! He's the entire reason why Harry grew up parentless, and why Dumbledore and Sirius are dead!" He stormed.

"Harry took the news really hard; I don't think he ever felt more alone than at that very moment." Lupin said quietly, he wanted to tell James that he was worried about Harry, how he had seemed so serious and lost at the wedding yesterday.

"Moony, what did the prophecy say about Harry and Voldemort? Dumbledore never did give me the full details."

"I can't remember it word for word, but basically Trelawney said _neither can live while the other survives._ Harry is the only person on this Earth that can destroy the dark lord, which is why he's been trying to kill your son for the past 17 years. A lot for a 17 year old to handle but somehow Harry manages."

"God Remus, I don't care what it takes…I will do everything in my power to protect Harry from Voldemort…_everything_." James replied forcefully.

Lupin nodded, he already knew that his friend would sacrifice his life for the ones he loved.

"Where is Harry now? Is he still at that terrible place Lily had to call her relatives?" James suddenly asked.

"No, he is at Ron's house with the Weasley family and Hermione. He left one day before his birthday, I doubt he intends on going back."

"I want to see him Moony, I need to."

Remus looked positively alarmed at the prospect. "Look, you've just had the worst day of your life, its 10am now, I think you should go and lie down, you look completely drained. I will contact the Order and decide how we should handle this; you can't just walk into The Burrow and expect Harry to greet you with open arms. We have to handle this entire situation carefully, if Voldemort finds out your back; well let's just say it may be better if the world still thinks your dead…at least for a little while."

James looked skeptical at the idea, but took it in stride and said a little cheekily, "You were always the reasonable one of the group. Just make sure I get to see my son soon, I missed 16 years of his life, I don't want to miss a second more."

Lupin smiled wanly and showed him to the spare room. "I will wake you the moment everything is organized, and after the Order and Harry understand what really happened that night."

James nodded and sat down on the bed.

"Oh and James…"

James looked up at his friend.

"I'm so glad that your back, I missed you a lot Prongs." Lupin said quietly, leaning down to give James a friendly hug.

The two broke apart and James lay down, thoughts swirling around in his brain until sleep overpowered his mentally and physically drained body.

Lupin rubbed his temples as he walked back into his living room and stared at his empty fire. He was contemplating on who to contact first when a fire suddenly burst to life, and Molly Weasley's head was floating in his fireplace.

"Molly? I was just about to floo you, I've had an amazing night, you're never going to believe it, Harry's da-."

"Remus! Oh my god you have to get over here right away! Ron, Hermione and Harry are gone!" Molly interrupted frantically.

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**TBC**


	5. Harry and the Hollow

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: To address more concerns, I decided to alter the timeline, so that the year would be the same as ours now, it's just something I prefer to do. As for the Wolfsbane potion, I completely forgot to incorporate it into the previous chapter, when I later go in and edit everything, I will fix that. Thanks for the reviews!

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**To Rise Again**

_**Chapter 4- Harry and the Hollow**_

_Previous Night_

Harry James Potter woke up with a start; he had had the oddest dream. A werewolf had been in it, and a tall figure with messy black hair. The young man sighed and shook his head; it had only been a dream after all.

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Harry stood up and stretched. Looking out his window, he realized that it could be no later than 5am, the sun had just barely started to peak over the horizon, and the sky shaded violet. Turning from this natural beauty, he grabbed some casual clothes and changed quickly. He all of a sudden had this very weird feeling in his stomach, like there was a reason why he woken up so suddenly, ready and alert.

It was then that he remembered the date. It was his birthday; today he would visit the home of his parents. Harry looked across the room at Ron, his best mate. He had promised both him and Hermione that they could come with him, somehow they had found out what he was up to even though he had kept his plans very quiet. Hermione threatened to tell Ron's mum if he wouldn't let them come along, who of course would insist he waited until it was a little bit safer. _Thanks a bunch Hermione_, he thought to himself sarcastically, of course he was grateful to have the company…the support. It was probably going to be very hard to see their graves…his house.

Harry shook Ron awake, who mumbled obscenities as he dressed clumsily. "Why do we have to go so damn early?"

"So you're mum doesn't stop us. We have a bit of walking to do anyways, than we can catch a ride on the knight bus, go to Hogesmeage so we can do our apparition tests, apparate to my old house, then come back here." Harry explained for what he swore was the millionth time.

"Oh, right." Ron whispered sleepily as he grabbed his wand. The two crept down the stairs, Hermione, the ever so punctual one, was waiting by the front door impatiently.

"You two are lucky Mrs. Weasley was up so late cleaning up, she's usually awake by now, and we all would've been caught." She said a little crossly.

Ron opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it; now that they were dating he chose not to argue back, she always won anyways.

"We've got to leave now, Ginny was half awake when I left the room, she might realize that we've gone." She added worriedly.

Harry didn't need telling twice, he didn't want this ruined, so he used his wand to procure a note, so that there would be no pandemonium later when everyone thought their savior missing. He left it on the table ledge and opened the front door slowly. He tip toed out, Hermione right on his heels.

Ron shut the door with a quick snap, and received glares from Harry and Hermione. He let off a little grin and shrugged his shoulders.

None of them noticed the note flutter to the floor with the sudden wind, landing upside down in the process.

The three were half way down the street before they felt safe to speak over the noise of their feet crunching the gravel.

"So, the wedding went pretty smoothly, don't you think?" Harry said, attempting small talk, the silence was unnerving.

"Oh I agree, it was pretty romantic actually. Except for the fact that nearly every guy in the area seemed to be in some sort of trance when Fleur came out. I mean, she looked stunning…but _come on_." Hermione replied, looking pointedly at Ron as she spoke.

"Hu'h? Oh come off it Hermione, she's a veela!" Ron said defensively.

The two began to bicker as they continued down another road.

"You've known her for nearly 3 years, you should be used to her by now!"

Harry smiled quietly; it was nice that he could be with his friends like this, like years ago when he had no care in the world, back in his first year. No rise of Voldemort, no horrific nightmares, Sirius and Dumbledore were still alive. Snape…well, he still wished that he could just _pretend_ that he wanted the former potions master dead, unlike now…now he really wanted to kill the bastard for his ultimate betrayal.

"Harry? Hello? Where are you going?' Ron's voice drifted towards him.

The teenager stopped and walked back towards to the couple, he had completely bypassed where they were to summon the knight bus. He allowed a small grin to form and threw out his wand, pretending that he had not strayed away with his dark thoughts.

The bus came almost instantly. No one hopped out to greet them, so the stepped inside and threw some sickles into the tin.

An old man with a very round face sat at the driver's seat. Harry immediately recognized him as Ernie.

"Harry! How nice to see ya all 'gain! Where will it be at such an early time?"

"Hogesmeage, please." Ron answered for his friend.

"Right you are…take a seat and make yourself comfortable. It'll be about 20 minutes, I have a few other passengers to drop off. You know…you three shouldn't be out so early in the morning…dangerous times for such young adults, even if you are of age…" Ernie added as an afterthought.

The trio made themselves as comfortable as they could as the bus took off with an almighty lurch, choosing to ignore Ernie's pervious comment.

"S'pecially you Harry, what with You-Know-'ho after ya and all that stuff in the papers." Ernie spoke on darkly.

Harry was saved from replying to these words by Hermione, who suddenly had a look of disgust on her face.She was the first to smell it. Crinkling her nose, she yelled over the noise the bus was making, "Ernie? What is that odor? It isn't too pleasant to be truthful."

Harry and Ron silently agreed, covering their noses as best they could, while trying to support themselves from the constant motion.

"Sorry 'bout that pretty lady. Had two blokes come on here not more 'en 15 minutes ago. The younger one had an upset stomach and was sick. The other guy cleaned it all up but I haven't had time to air out the smell, it's much harder to keep up without Stan around." Ernie explained.

"Well that's not a surprise." Ron muttered.

Hermione shot daggers at him.

"I meant the puking part; I wasn't making fun of his age!" He added hastily upon seeing her face.

The bus stopped at a very dingy looking road, and a fragile looking wizard practically bolted off, looking grateful that the trip was over.

"Lucky guy…" Ron mumbled, watching as the old man stepped onto the pavement through the window.

"You know, the younger man reminded me of someone, couldn't remember 'ho. I've just had a thought though, he looked like you Harry! Had the same hair but it was brown, 'bout your size and shape, a little taller though. It was uncanny!" Ernie said as the bus ride continued.

Ron rolled his eyes, apparently thinking Ernie was barking mad.

"Must just be co-incidence." Harry yelled back after a particularly loud bang.

"That's exactly what he said." Ernie replied.

Harry shrugged and the rest of the trip went by in silence, mostly because they were all afraid to be sick if they opened their mouths.

Finally, Hogesmeage village appeared outside the windows, and the three thanked Ernie and exited the bus quickly. The violet sky had been replaced with a tinge of baby blue; it was going to be a nice day…if the Dementors didn't come around and ruin it.

"Alright, it's nearly 6:30am; I scheduled you're apparition tests for 6:45, so I suppose we can just wait outside." Hermione said.

Ron and Harry looked at each other, they hadn't even thought of making an appointment. The two followed her down the road, both deciding to go along with her and pretend that they knew all about this, neither of them wanted a lecturing.

Harry wondered vaguely for a second whether or not he would be able to go after Voldemorts horcruxes alone, when he couldn't even make an appointment. He pushed this to the back of his mind however, he would discuss all that and more with his friends in a short while.

The three made themselves comfortable outside the apparition office, it was a clean looking place with pictures of people disappearing and reappearing in another portrait seconds later, Hermione and Harry checking their watches periodically. Finally 6:45 came, and the men went into the building, spoke with a lady behind a desk, and disappeared into the back, Hermione chose to wait outside.

The test took less than 15 minutes, and both Harry and Ron returned with smiles on their faces. Hermione was pleased to learn that they both had passed, and even happier to see the smile on Harry's face, she hadn't seen one so pure since before Dumbledore died.

"How did it go?" She still found herself asking.

"We both got perfect in one shot; I can't believe I failed last time." Ron jumped in immediately, very pleased with himself.

Hermione gave him a small peck on the cheek and grabbed his hand as they walked. Harry didn't seem to mind the occasional bits of affection they showed, as long as they weren't snogging in front of him.

"Alright…shall we go then?" Harry said a little nervously.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Hermione asked as they headed down the barren street. Every store had pictures of known death eaters and newspaper clippings on Voldemorts whereabouts, and of course, Harry and the prophecy.

"It's been 16 years, I need to see them now more then ever." Harry replied truthfully.

"Of course..." Hermione said.

"On the count of three then? One…two…three…" Ron counted down, and with three small pops, the usually busy street was barren again.

Harry took in his surroundings as soon as he felt solid ground. The street of Godrcis Hollow was empty except for a charred house at the very end.

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other; they stood on either side of Harry and followed him. Both were worried how he would react, seeing the place where his parents had been murdered couldn't do one good.

Harry's legs felt like they had been hit with the jelly legs jinx, and it seemed like forever before they had reached the rusted gate, the yellowing grass, the half destroyed house, and the two graves that stood off to the side. He took a deep breath, and opened the gate, it squeaked slightly as he did so, causing his skin to prickle.

"Do…do you want us to wait here?" Hermione asked quietly.

Ron was staring at the engraving on the gate_…"The Potters." _

Harry considered her question, and eventually nodded a grateful yes, for some reason he felt like this time, the first time, it should be private, and he had no idea if he would get emotional when he explored the house. It would be rather awkward if he started crying in front of Ron.

"Be careful, it looks pretty unstable." Hermione whispered, she had no idea why she was speaking so quietly, it just seemed…right.

Harry forced a smile, "I won't be to long…I don't think." With that, he turned away and walked up the front steps, the door was gone, blasted open no doubt. He walked inside and looked around. The first thing he noticed was the stairs, almost directly in front of him. They were almost completely gone; it would take some climbing if he wanted to explore the upper part of the house.

Walking down the hall, he turned into the first door he came across, which happened to be the sitting room. This particular room did not look so bad. The walls were only partially blackened from the smoke that must have engulfed the house. Harry took a shuddering breath; this was a lot more painful than he had thought. He left the living room quickly and ventured down the hall. He passed the bathroom, and soon found himself in the kitchen. It didn't look the fire had reached this far. It seemed like it was more like curses that had done the damage in this part. The cabinet by the door had a hole burned through it, and the counter below it was cracked.

Harry closed his eyes; it was weird, like he could feel his father in this room that night…the screaming…the shouting. Shaking, he snapped his eyes open and left the kitchen quickly. He had a very strong urge to visit the master bedroom, where he was confident his mother had been killed.

Harry made his way back to the entrance, looked for something to grab onto, and climbed his way up. A huge section of the roof had been burned off, and he had to be careful where he stepped, for there were holes in the floor. There was even one room that was completely gone, it was impossible to tell what it had previously been.

He stepped into the master bedroom and looked around. It was a mess, charred pieces of wood lay scattered on the floor. Harry wondered in amazement how he could have possibly survived, even after Voldemort fled. He suddenly noticed something that lay on the dusty floor; it was a teddy bear, the only whole thing that had survived the flames, besides himself of course.

The tag on its leg read: _To my baby boy, Love mummy_

Harry sat down and stared at the bear for a long time, pondering what his life would have been like if Neville had been chosen. His parent's would still be alive, and he would not have the fate of the entire world resting upon his shoulders.

He had to take some deep; calming breaths…he could hear his mother's voice in his head, like a flashback, or an old movie playing in front of his eyes…

_Lily made a strangled noise somewhere in her throat, and hurried into her bedroom, shutting the door quietly and locking it. Setting Harry down in his crib, she looked out the window and saw two cloaked figures standing at the end of her driveway. Dementors, she thought horridly, they were guarding any means of escape. _

_Rushing back over to her son, she kissed him softly. She could taste salty water on her lips and realized that tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Don't worry baby, Daddy will protect us no matter what." She whispered, her voice shaking. _

_It seemed like only minutes later, a man in a black cloak was in the room. He had the look of someone that had once been handsome, but had somehow been twisted into an evil thing that wasn't even human._

_Baby Harry cried as the man advanced, yelling at his mother, telling her to step aside…to move, give him a clear view…_

_A green light, his mother's voice silenced by the curse…maniacal laughing…_

_The evil voice, "Good-bye, Harry Potter…say hello to your mudblood mother for me…"_

_More green light…a terrible, terrible pain in his forehead, but his little screams of pain and terror were no match for that of the dark lord…_

Harry snapped his eyes open; he was shaking like a leaf and was sweating. _Must have fallen asleep,_ he thought to himself.

The youngest Potter didn't realize how long he had been sitting there until he heard Ron yelling from downstairs. He got up, but left the bear where it was, this was its home.

"Harry? You okay? Sorry Hermione is starting to get worried…it's nearly 11…"

Harry appeared just above the red head. "Sorry, I got caught in time I guess." He explained as he climbed down to the ground level.

"No problem, just making sure you were okay."

Harry didn't reply as they exited the house, still thinking about his dream. Hermione was sitting on the front steps and jumped up when they appeared. "I think there's one more thing you need to see…" Her voice was nervous.

Harry followed her and Ron to the side of the house, where his parent's graves were. He stared at the tombstones for a while, wishing with all his might that they could be brought back from the dead. Using his wand, he produced some fresh roses, and left them on top of the marble.

"I think we should head back to the Burrow, I've seen enough for now." Harry said shakily, he didn't want this visit to weaken his chances against defeating the dark lord; he wanted it to strengthen his desire for what was right.

Hermione and Ron agreed, they didn't want their friend to take more than he could handle, even if he could handle a lot.

Hermione counted down this time, and they all apparated on 'one'. Harry took one last glance at his father's tombstone before vanishing with a pop.

_Earlier Before_

Remus had arrived at the Burrow immediately after leaving James a note that he had gone to 'sort things out.' Upon arrival the house was in pandemonium, mostly caused by Molly of course. She was nearly to tears, yelling out that the Order should be informed, that search parties should be sent out…that they were being stupid for going out with all the danger and no means of protection.

"Easy Molly, they may have just gone out for some air." Remus tried to reassure her. "Did they leave a note anywhere?"

"I couldn't see one…" She said as she sat at the kitchen table, her hands shaking from worry. "It's too dangerous out there for three teenagers. What if You-Know-Who gets them?" She said with red eyes.

Remus chose not to reply, the very thought making him sick. The thing that worried him more though was how James would react to this news. The Potter had been known to have a temper at times, and he already wanted to see his son, making him wait for too long would NOT have a good outcome. Hoping against hope, Remus pointed his wand straight into the air and muttered, "Accio Harry's letter!"

Amazingly, the charm worked, and a piece of paper flew from the hallway straight into Remus's hand. He looked over at Mrs. Weasley, who instantly bent over to read it.

All the red heads in the room bent their heads in towards the note as Remus read it aloud:

_Mrs. Weasley_

_Ron, Hermione and I left earlier this morning, so that both Ron and I could take our apparition tests. I would also like to visit Godric's Hollow, so we won't be home until later this morning. None of us mean to worry you, but I need to see my old home, and I need to do it without 4 aurors being invisible bodyguards. We can handle ourselves._

_Harry, Ron, Hermione_

Molly's face went from pale to red instantly. "How _dare_ they be so childish! Just wait until I get my hands on Ronald…" She said angrily.

Fred and George cracked identical grins, they loved when their mum got mad at someone else…it was so…_different_.

Remus breathed a huge sigh of relief. Harry was safe…he had not left for whatever mission he was hell bent on doing…there was still time for James to meet his son…and perhaps help him. _Maybe Harry will open up to James, and allow him to help with whatever Dumbledore planned,_ he thought hopefully.

"Molly, this is exactly why he did it. He is of age now, all three of them are capable of making their own decisions, and I'm sure all three will join up with the Order now that Harry is 17. You can't stop them from becoming adults, even if there is a war happening." Remus said reasonably.

Molly sighed deeply, she knew that Remus was right; even if she wasn't very happy with the fact she had had the daylights scared out of her this morning. "I wonder when they will be back." She said more calmly, getting up and serving bacon to her children. "Thanks for coming by the way, Remus. I was just about to lose my head before you showed up."

"It was no problem. I worry about Harry a lot."

Before anyone in the room could say anything more, the door swung open, and as if on cue, the three walked into the kitchen.

Ginny stared at Harry as they filed past. He looked a lot different from two months ago even. He had definitely been working out at his relatives, probably for whatever mission he wanted to go on. He sure as hell wasn't the skinny kid she had seen back in first year. He had also definitely stopped cutting his hair; it was slightly more messy and longer, his bang falling into his eyes. He probably had more worries than getting a trim, but she kind of liked it better that way. She did wish that he hadn't broken up with her…all because of Voldemort of course. If it hadn't of been for that wretched wizard they would still be together…

Harry glanced over at Ginny after nodding hello to his former professor, not really wondering why he was over. He tuned out to whatever Mrs. Weasley was saying to Ron, more interested in Ginny. Her hair was still in loose curls from the wedding the night before, and even though she was no longer in that golden dress, she still looked beautiful. He knew that he loved her, but he also new that he couldn't have another strong bond with someone…he couldn't endanger more lives. Sighing a little, he looked away from the red head and started to work his way through his bacon.

Ron allowed one nervous glance at his mother, before he started to load his plate with bacon and egg.

Remus watched in silence before looking up at Arthur. "Could I have a word?" He asked quietly.

Surprised, Arthur nodded and lead him into the hallway.

Harry watched them leave but chose not to eavesdrop this time; he had already gotten away with one thing this morning…he didn't feel like pushing it.

It seemed like Mrs. Weasley had dropped her attempt at a lecture and had turned to Fleur, talking animatedly about how the wedding had went last night.

"Is there something wrong, Remus?" Arthur whispered in the hall, concerned for the younger man.

"No…I need you to do me a huge favor though. Something amazing has happened…"

"I'll help however I can." Arthur said immediately.

"I need you to call an emergency meeting for all Order members, to meet here if possible. Trust me on this, it's extremely important…and it could change _everything_. No ministry officials of any kind, only Order members, Harry, Hermione and the rest of your family. This _must_ remain private...mostly for Harry's sake."

Arthur seemed very surprised at this very sudden urgency. "For when?"

"Tomorrow at noon, and it must be kept very secret." Lupin muttered.

"I'll round up as many as I can and pass on the word." Arthur said supportively.

Remus nodded his thanks and looked over at Harry as they headed back into the kitchen; it was like looking at James's twin, except for the scar and green eyes. He privately hoped that this reunion would have a positive effect on Harry, if it didn't it would destroy James forever.

He was almost positive that knowing Harry was alive was the only thing holding the man together.

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**TBC**

**I have taken out the lyrics, I had them for effect, but I guess it was only for me ;) **


	6. Horcruxes and Pictures

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: Remember, this story is slightly AU, so some stuff may not coincide with the books, BUT most of it does! Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors, I will go through and fix them when I can actually see the screen without getting a headache. Sorry for the delay, hope to get some opinions!

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_

**To Rise Again**

**_Chapter 5- The Horcruxes and Pictures _**

After breakfast, Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to sit outside and simply relax, for the day had been a long one, and it was only noon.

Harry stretched out on the green grass, his back up against a tree, watching Crookshanks chase a garden gnome.

The three had not really spoken since getting back from Godrics Hollow, preferring the calm silence.

_Will I ever be able to experience moments like this ever again? _Harry wondered, slightly sad. It would be hard to leave the comfort of the Burrow, to leave behind all those who cared for him.

"So…what do you guys think will happen if Hogwarts doesn't reopen this year?" Ron spoke into the silence.

"I don't know…" Hermione said unsurely, it was not often when she didn't know the answer to a question.

Harry said nothing. He new that he wanted to destroy the horcruxes, that he was meant to do it. He couldn't help but feel slightly unsure; he had trained day and night, physically and mentally for his quest, but could he possibly destroy these evil forces of magic without even a seventh year of learning new spells and remedies at school?

Hermione suddenly looked at Harry and said in an undertone, "You know, if you are seriously considering going after the horcruxes, I'm going with you. There is no way that you're going alone."

"Ditto." Ron added as he picked at the grass.

Harry looked at his friends exasperatedly, "No way, if Hogwarts stays open you'd miss you're last year of school, Hermione, those NEWTS mean a lot to you."

Hermione smiled wanly, "You surviving this war and peace being restored are a hell of a lot more important then grades."

"She's got you there mate." Ron said, playing with his wand absentmindedly. "You're going to need all the help you can get."

"Besides, I've been studying for the NEWTS since third year; I've basically passed seventh year education." Hermione added, blushing furiously.

"I can't risk you guys getting hurt." Harry weakly attempted an argument, he new that Hermione was right about her grade level, so there was no point arguing there.

"You may as well get used to it, if you leave without us, we'll just track you down. Spare us the trouble if you will." Ron grinned.

"Look, lets just wait and see what's happening with school, if it's closing for the year, then maybe I'll let you guys come." Harry replied, still determined to have the final say, even though he knew in his heart there was no stopping the two from helping.

"Everything is so…different this year. I mean so much has changed since fourth year…it's exciting and sad…" Hermione said softly, completely off topic.

"It's pretty crazy, I can still remember bloody Norbert, and when our house finally won the quidditch cup…" Ron said wistfully.

"I wish we could go back to those days…that was probably my best year at school." Harry mumbled. _What I wouldn't give to just erase everything from fourth year and up…to start all over again and prevent all the deaths…_

About an hour of simply sitting on the grass had passed before all three of them were startled out of their reminiscing, by Mrs. Weasley. "Come inside you three, the Hogwarts letters have arrived." She called from the backdoor, looking slightly nervous.

The trio got up quickly, all of them knowing that the letter determined what they were going to do next. They walked into the kitchen, where the rest of the family had gathered, staring at the four official letters that remained sealed on the table.

Ron picked up the one closest, it was addressed to Hermione, but he tore it open and read it aloud anyways.

_Miss Hermione Granger_

_I regret to inform you that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will remain closed throughout the duration of the year. This is due to the steadfast rise of Lord Voldemort. Many parents wish to keep their children with them, and the staff here could not agree more. This is a time for families to unite against this quickly spreading evil. You will receive upon owl mail when we have decided to open the schools doors again. Attached is a pamphlet of other schools that would be more then happy to take on more students, but be advised that you would be looking at a foreign country, not our own, so travel would be an issue to resolve. On behalf of the school, I wish you well. _

_Headmistress M. McGonagall _

Harry grabbed his own letter; it read the exact same thing. He couldn't believe it, even though Dumbledore was dead, even though Voldemort had full out power, he still couldn't help but think Hogwarts would never close its doors.

Hermione couldn't hide the small moan that escaped her lips, she loved Hogwarts, and it devastated her that she would not be returning this year.

"So, what happens now?" Ginny said quietly.

"We stick together as a family, travel in numbers, and do whatever it takes to survive." Mr. Weasley said firmly, focusing his gaze on Harry.

Harry looked at the group of people. _Maybe I should tell them about the horcruxes…I know that I can trust them, they deserve to know, they are the closest to a family that I've ever had. _"I can't stay." He said after a big breath.

Hermione and Ron looked at him sharply, both wearing inquiring looks.

"What do you mean Harry?" Mrs. Weasley said, with a tinge of worry.

"I need to go on the mission Dumbledore gave me; if I don't…there will be no possible way to kill Voldemort for good."

No one in the room flinched at the sound of the name, they were all too intent on hearing what Harry had to say. Considering this was the fist time he had spoken of his secret mission aloud since Dumbledore's death.

"What mission?" Fred and George asked together.

"You guys…you guys can't interfere with this if I tell you…no matter how much you want to." Harry mumbled, running a hand through his hair. He was trying with all his might to avoid Ginny's calculating eyes.

Molly wrung her hands together nervously and took a seat in one of the vacant chairs. She was scared of what she was about to find out.

Harry quickly explained the secret training he had been receiving from Dumbledore last year, including the memories of Tom Riddle, the horcruxes, and his and Dumbledore's final trip together…to the cave.

"But why did Dumbledore insist that you do this? You are barely of age, and without full magical education." Arthur inquired, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Because…because I am the only person that can kill him. There was a prophecy…made by a witch…" Harry carried on, "Voldemort either has to kill me, or I have to kill him. There is no other way…if I die; Voldemort will have nothing in his way to stop him." He hated how he sounded, like he was the only one who could be the hero. That the magical world and the muggle world would no longer exist as they new it, but it was the cold truth.

Mrs. Weasley let out a cry of horror, her eye's widening.

Ginny gave Harry one more long, lost look before getting up and sweeping out of the room, so that he wouldn't be able to see her tears of worry.

"Mate, we'll help you get these horcruxes. We'll do some investigating and see if we can find any clues about them." Fred said, whilst his twin nodded his head animatedly.

"You most certainly will NOT!" Mrs. Weasley fumed.

"You're mother is right, boys. Harry, I will get some members of the Order to do a little digging, see what they can find."

Harry shook his head with a small smile of appreciation. "No thanks, I have to do this all on my own."

"Will you at least inform the rest of the Order? That way if you are injured, or god forbid captured, there will be someone on hand to come to your aid. I know you have a lot of determination, but you can't heal yourself of certain illnesses, and there may be times when you are in desperate need of help." Mr. Weasley tried to reason.

Harry recalled how weak Dumbledore had been after the cave, and his shriveled hand. He wouldn't be any use to anybody if he turned up dead a week into his search.

"Alright, that I think I can handle, but how do I tell the members of the Order all at once? Every time there is a meeting some ministry official is there, and I can't risk this getting public." Harry frowned.

"As luck would have it, there will be a top secret meeting held here at noon tomorrow. Remus requested it this morning. Only Order members and this entire family are allowed to sit in."

Mrs. Weasley looked at her husband, some of the colour in her face finally returning. This was the first she had heard of this.

"Don't ask me why, all he said was that something amazing has happened, that was it." Mr. Weasley added quickly.

Ron, who had been silent throughout the last half an hour, cleared his throat. "Uhm…mum? Just so you know, Hermione and I have decided to go with Harry on his quest. We've stuck by him through a lot, and since the school is closed…well, we have decided he nor anyone else has any say in the matter."

For the first time, Harry did not contradict this statement, he realized more then ever now how important it was for him to successfully complete this task, without getting killed. Keeping his friends close might just save his life.

Mrs. Weasley looked somewhat defeated and drained. There was simply to much more stress laid upon her shoulders now. "Please, the three of you…stay safe and PLEASE call when you need help. Set back your pride and let us do what we can for you. I don't want to bury the three of you before me." With that, she broke down into tears.

Mr. Weasley signaled to the group to leave them alone, while quietly reassuring his wife that all would work out for the best.

Ron and Harry headed for the highest room in the house, while Hermione went straight to Ginny's bedroom.

"Well, that couldn't of gone better I suppose." Ron said with a sigh.

Harry mumbled from the mattress on the floor, "This is going to be tough, I mean; how am I supposed to locate all these horcruxes and destroy them? I need a miracle."

"We have Hermione; she'll help us figure it out."

"I suppose." Harry replied, knowing that questioning Hermione's abilities would only insult her extreme intelligence. He still did wish Dumbledore was still alive…everything just felt a lot less safe without the old wizard.

As if on cue, she walked into the room without as much as a knock. "Ginny is terrified that you are going to die." She announced without a hello, looking quite grave.

Harry groaned at this news, and stuffed his head into a pillow. The last thing he wanted was for the girl he cared about to be crying over him.

"I assured her that Ron and I would do everything in our power to make sure that doesn't happen, but she is obviously still terrified for you. She cares a lot, Harry."

_I know, and that's why I can't be with her… _Harry thought to himself.

"Some birthday this has been…" He said sarcastically.

"Today has been really tough on everyone, especially Harry. How about we all forget about this for now, and just _pretend _that we are normal 17 year olds with magical abilities? Just for the rest of today?" Ron said hopefully.

"I think that's a good idea, how about we take a walk, clear our heads?" Hermione suggested.

"You guys go ahead, I'm exhausted, think I'll take a nap before dinner." Harry said truthfully.

"I'll make sure you don't miss dinner." Ron said as his girlfriend led him out the door and into the hallway.

Harry sighed softly once the room was empty, and pulled his shirt off. Using his wand, he made the shades on the windows go down, enchanted the room with a darkening spell that he had recently learned, and conjured a fan up to keep him from getting too hot before settling on the mattress.

He let his mind wander to why Lupin was calling such an important meeting. _What is so amazing that he had to call a meeting for it? _Harry let his mind ponder this and many other things as he drifted off into what would be a very peaceful sleep, not knowing, that as he fell asleep, his very father was waking up in Remus Lupin's apartment, anxious to meet son.

_Remus' Place _

James woke up suddenly, he had been dreaming about that last night, and he could still hear the crashing noises and screams from his wife ringing in his ears. He lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling for at least five minutes before his growling stomach and nerves became too much to handle.

Sighing, he got out of bed and after straightening his clothes, found his way into the kitchen, where Remus was already shoving a large sandwich down his throat. "There's one ready on the counter for you, you're favorite." He said after a huge swallow.

"You spoil me." James smirked, grabbing the plate and sitting opposite of his friend. After a few large bites he found himself asking the same question he had already asked multiple times in the last 24 hours, "When can I see my son?"

"I've asked Arthur to hold a meeting at noon tomorrow. I want you to wait outside the door first though; I'm going to explain what the hyberanus curse is, so no one thinks you are some death eater in disguise."

James felt somewhat disappointed; he had wanted to see his son for his birthday. "I suppose you did always know what was best, Moony."

"In the meantime, I've got something you might be interested in seeing, to tide you over at least." Remus added, getting up and leaving the kitchen for a minute. He returned quickly, an album in tow.

"There aren't many pictures of him, some clippings from newspapers, and some Hagrid and Molly gave me. Oh, a student I use to teach gave me some pictures, his name was Colin, nice kid…obsessed with Harry though."

"I have to leave you alone again I'm afraid, I made some commitments for today and people will wonder why I didn't show up." Remus said, placing the album on the counter. "I probably won't be back until late, so make yourself at home."

"You got a date?" James couldn't help but tease.

"No, some important work for the Order. You'll be brought up to speed on everything eventually." Remus said seriously. "Make sure no one sees you, don't answer the door if anyone knocks."

"Yeah, I know."

"Alright, try not to cause too much trouble; I'll see you tonight or in the morning.' Remus said as he threw some floo powder into the fire. He shouted something incoherent, and the room was drenched in silence.

James sighed; he really didn't want to be alone right now. His emotions got the better of him when there was no one to see.

After using his wand to clean his plate, he took the album into the living room and began to slowly flick through it. The first picture was nothing spectacular, just a picture of the school. As he got deeper into the album though, he finally was able to see what his son looked like, and how he changed as he grew up. There was a picture of Harry from his second year, standing beside a younger boy and looking relatively uneasy, like he would much rather be any place else.

There was another picture of him standing with a brown haired girl and a red headed boy, he looked really happy, his green eyes were sparkling, so much like his mothers. Then there was another, but it was a newspaper clipping from his fourth year. He was riding a very nice looking broom, and had just barely dodged the fiery breath of a Hungarian Horntail.

The title above read;

**The Triwizard Tournament's First Task**

_Yesterday afternoon, the first task of the triwizard tournament was unleashed. Although there was much speculation over the capabilities of fourteen year old Harry Potter, who was mysteriously entered into the tournament, the young man was able to place first in the task, against the three seventeen year olds he is competing with. Many readers believe Mr. Potter entered himself into the tournament, but the youth continues to claim that he has no idea how or why his name was placed into the cup. _

"Wow…" James said aloud, he had been told a lot of things in the past 24 hours, but this portion of his son's life…such major accomplishments at such a young age, it was surreal. Shaking his head, he quickly flipped to the next page. Finally, after skimming through the articles on Sirius (it was too painful for him to look at), he was at the last picture, the end to his emotional roller coaster ride…for now.

It was another newspaper clipping, from late May to early June. It almost made him cry by looking at it.

**The Great One, Fallen**

_Albus PercivalWulfric Brian Dumbledore was murdered this past week, a great tragedy to the wizarding world, especially in such dark times. Although information has not been released to the press, it is believed that Harry Potter (above) was the last one to see the great Headmaster alive. It surely is most devastating to the orphaned boy, who lost his parents at such a young age. Many strongly believe that Albus Dumbledore was the closest to a fatherly figure that Harry never had. _

James studied the picture above. Harry was sitting with his two friends, and a slightly younger girl, who looked to be another Weasley. His son was looking away from the service and his friends, trying poorly to hide the tears of grief that slid down his cheeks.

_How am I supposed to handle this? I've lost Lily, Sirius, and Dumbledore in what feels like a day. I have a son that has no choice but to kill Voldemort himself, and now he's going to have to handle me coming back so suddenly. I don't even know him, except from some of the stuff in the article clippings, how am I supposed to help somebody that thinks I died when he was a baby? _

James shut the album a little more roughly then he had intended. He had already slept enough today, and yet he felt completely drained again. Placing the book on the coffee table, he got up and made his way to the spare bedroom, where Lupin had already placed a set of pajamas for him.

Changing out of his wrinkled robes, he placed his glasses and wand on the nightstand and crawled in, exhausted. He closed his eyes, willing for sleep to come, but every time it did, he would see his wife smiling, and then screaming. Then Sirius would appear, looking gaunt, like in the newspaper clippings, and then Harry, writhing on the ground in pain, the tall figure of Voldemort standing over him, cackling. Telling him he would die just like his weak father had, telling him he would be with his mudblood mother soon. Then Harry would scream, his eyes glazed over in pain, "My father was brave, and he died trying to protect my mum, you are the coward!" A flash of green light would then engulf the room…

James continued to dream this nightmare throughout his sleep, waking up periodically, covered in sweat, tears flowing down his face. He tried to think about the positive things as he drifted back off, trying to stop the nightmare from tormenting him. _I get to see Harry tomorrow…I get to see my son…I get another chance to protect the remaining member of the Potter family… _

It wasn't until late at night, right before Remus got home, that James beat the battle, and was able to sleep the rest of the night, free of tormenting visions and screams.

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**TBC**

**Well, I do apologize for such a long wait; I certainly did struggle with this chapter. My sister has also become oddly obsessed with MSN, and it takes a lot of work to get to the computer to write. (She literally gets on as soon as she wakes up and stays on until 12am…which is when I finally can get on, so if this chapter isn't very good, blame it on my exhaustion lol) We are on our X-Mas vacation, which it the reason why she can do this…**

**By the way, hope everyone had a great Christmas and a happy new year! Drop a review by me, I'm curious about what you guys thought of this chapter. **


	7. Together At Last

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: Sorry for the long wait everyone. Advice is gladly welcomed, it may help me avoid impending writers block. At least they meet in this chapter…I hope it was worth the wait…

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_

**To Rise Again**

_**Chapter 6- Together At Last **_

James woke up very suddenly, and it took him a moment to realize why. As soon as he remembered that today he would meet his son, he sprang out of bed, took a quick shower, got dressed into a fresh pair of robes that Remus had picked up for him the day before, and hurried down to the kitchen, his hair still tangled and dripping.

Remus was already up, and was attempting to read the Daily Prophet, it was very clear however, that he was having a very hard time concentrating. The egg he was attempting to pick up with his fork kept missing his mouth.

After fixing his crooked glasses, James glanced over at the grandfather clock, it read 11am, his restless night had caused him to sleep in very late.

"When do we leave?"

Remus smiled tiredly, but his eyes showed that he was excited and nervous. "In about 45 minutes I will go and get everyone assembled, then I will come back for you, and you can wait outside the living room door, until I indicate to you to come in…and try not to jump in there before I'm ready. It's critical that I explain everything before you waltz in and announce yourself undead."

James agreed with a nod, the last thing he wanted was for his old co-workers to blast him into a million pieces.

"Get something to eat; you are going to need the energy." Remus added after a few more minutes of chewing and swallowing.

Striding over to the counter, James piled bacon, toast, hash browns and eggs onto his plate. Remus quirked an eyebrow as the man shoveled the food into his mouth.

"Harry has better table manners than you do."

"I 'ill jus' haf tooo fix at." James attempted to say with his mouth full. Seeing Remus's face however, he swallowed the food and repeated, "I will just have to fix that."

Remus laughed softly and shook his head.

_The Burrow_

Harry sprang off of his Firebolt as he smoothly landed on the ground. Ron and Hermione had already gone inside to get a drink and cool off, but he had still wanted to feel the wind on his face for a little while longer.

Since he had slept for the better part of the day yesterday, he had gotten up very early this morning and was full of energy.

It was close to the meeting however, so he figured he had better go in and see who had showed up for it. Flying was the only thing that kept his curiosity at bay. He carefully stored his broom in the storage shed before crossing the yard and entering the house.

He found Ron and Hermione sitting at the kitchen table, eating Harry's leftover birthday cake (chocolate) and arguing about the topic of the meeting.

"What do you think, Harry?" Hermione asked the minute he sat down, with a huge chunk of cake in tow.

"Well it can't be about yesterday, Lupin asked Ron's dad before I told everyone about the horcruxes…" He said as he took a bite of the tasty cake.

"I think it's for the three of us, maybe they hold some meeting before we become official members of the order." Ron said, his eyes shining with excitement.

Hermione shot that idea down quickly, however. "There was no meeting for Fred and George, and you're mum seemed really surprised when your dad told her. It has to be something to do with Voldemort, or Snape."

Ron shuddered at the dark lords' name, but didn't say anything.

Harry felt his blood boil at the mention of Snape, but said nothing and tried to remain passive.

Hermione and Ron were just about to get into another heated argument when Tonks strode into the room, her hair long, curly and turquoise. It was a nice change from bubblegum pink.

"Hey Tonk's!" Harry said cheerfully, extremely relieved that he wouldn't be caught between Ron and Hermione again, he was getting tired of their arguing.

"Wotcher, Harry." Tonks winked as she sat down.

"How are things with you and Lupin?" Hermione asked politely.

Tonks grinned as she said; "We're doing just fine, both of us our busy though. I'll be happy when this whole war is over and done with."

The three teens said nothing to this comment, knowing that Harry could very well be dead by that time. Any of them could, really.

Ironically, Lupin suddenly appeared in the kitchen with a tiny pop. He was carrying a stack of parchment, and he was pale and sweaty.

Tonks sprang to her feet, and offered to help him. He leapt back however, and said no thanks, that she wasn't allowed to see just yet. "Is everyone here?" He asked her anxiously.

"Yup, Shacklebolt just arrived." Tonks smiled widely.

"Right, you four go and sit in the living area then, I'll be along in a moment, make sure no one is lagging behind…" Lupin replied, still looking very distracted.

Tonks smile faded a little, but she still maintained her happy bounce as she ushered the three teens away from their cake, and into the living room. As Harry was pushed out the door, he couldn't help but wonder why his former professor kept looking at him nervously.

It was still bugging him as he took a seat, but he was quickly distracted as soon as he noticed all the people in the room. His own bout of nerves set in as he realized that he was going to have to get up and talk.

Hagrid gave him a reassuring, but confused smile from the other side of the room. He was standing because his weight could not be supported by the chairs Mrs. Weasley had set up. Harry had not seen the half giant since Dumbledore's funeral, and was relieved to see that Hagrid seemed to be maintaining his sanity.

Headmistress Minivera McGonagall gave him a curt nod. It still seemed out of place that Dumbledore was not there to complete the room as the Headmaster.

As soon as everyone was comfortable and sitting, so that there was a big space in the middle of the circle, everyone fell silent. Waiting for Lupin to come in with whatever news he had. Some of the members looked curious, some bored, and others angry for having to abandon their important duties when it simply could have been passed on to them later. There had never been a meeting in which everyone had had to come before.

Harry busied himself by playing with his wand; Hermione and Ron were talking to each other quietly. Mrs. Weasley, who sat behind them, seemed to be still upset about what Harry had revealed to the family the night before.

Ginny gave him a long, hard look as she passed him to take her seat, it seemed that she had exchanged her worry for Harry to being angry with him.

_Meanwhile…_

Remus and James stood just inside the doorway of the Burrow, both of them looking pale and nervous.

"Alright, I'll call to you when it's time…until then, just stand outside the door and be quiet, okay?"

James nodded, he felt like he was going to be sick from nerves.

"Okay, let's do this. You ready?"

James nodded again, and took his place behind the living room door. Remus gave him one more reassuring smile before opening the door, slipping through, and shutting it again.

The black haired man pressed his ear up against the wood, straining to hear. His legs trembling so badly that it took all he had to stay on his feet.

_The Meeting_

Remus walked directly into the middle of the room, trying to calm his trembling figure. He was not nervous from speaking to all these people, he knew most of them, and got along well with all, he was nervous about what they would think of what he was about to say.

"Remus, I'm sure that we are all curious as to why this meeting has been called." The headmistress stated, clearly just as stupefied as the others, and wanting to get straight to the point.

Remus took a big breath, and began. "Something happened on Harry's birthday, something that no one ever thought possible…it really is some sort of miracle." As he said this, he began to distribute the papers he had with his wand.

Minivera read the parchment, her eyes shining with curiosity.

_The Hibernating Spell_

_A spell in which the victim will fall into a sort of dead but alive state. The spell freezes the body, like the freezing of time, giving the victim a look non other than a deceased person. The body does not age, or require nutrients of any kind. A very complex spell which is illegal in Britain and one which only an extremely dark wizard could conjure. This spell can only be lifted by its creator. If perhaps the creator is injured or weakened after casting the spell, it will be and can only be lifted once the creator has gained the exact amount of strength he or she had at such a time as it was placed. If the creator dies, so does the victim under the spell. _

Most looked even more confused after reading the parchment, and looked at Remus, waiting for him to say something. He remained silent, however, waiting for some sort of understanding to dawn on their faces.

Predictably, Hermione and the headmistress were the first to clue in. He knew this only because they both looked straight at the still confused Harry.

"Remus, does this mean what I think it means?" Minivera asked in a curt tone, averting her gaze from Harry to the older man.

"Impossible…" Hermione whispered, "No way, how could no one have known…?"

"Like I said, it is a miracle."

"What a minute here, what exactly are you talking about? What's a miracle?" Harry asked loudly, not liking how he didn't know what was going on. Many other people in the room started to complain for an explanation as well.

"James Potter, Harry's very father, is not dead. He has been a victim of this curse for the past 16 years of his life. It is my belief that Voldemort thought he could break his spirit and make him a death eater, after losing both his wife and son." Remus said, and immediately the room exploded with talk.

Harry felt his head swim at the words…how was it possible? He thought in his daze. _No, he's dead…this is some sort of nightmare…_

"Remus, where is he?"

"He is here, waiting to see his son." Remus replied to McGonagall, taking a step towards the Potter boy, and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Harry, this is no cruel joke. Your dad was put under this curse for 16 years; he is not a death eater in disguise, you know I would not lie to you."

He then turned to the group, "I'm going to call him in, please believe me, don't shoot some curse at him, what I am saying is completely true." Remus than walked to the door and opened it.

James walked in slowly, his legs trembling with anticipation and worry. He scanned the faces as he entered the room, recognizing some, not knowing others. However, the only person he was looking for was his son, no one else currently mattered.

Mrs. Weasley let out a little scream; some others imitated this, but most just gaped at the man in shock.

Harry looked straight into his father's eyes. Green met brown, for the first time in 16 years.

_Oh, my god…he has Lily's eyes…oh my god! Remus wasn't lying…besides the eyes, you can barely tell us apart! _James thought in amazement, trying very hard not to cry.

Harry stood up on trembling legs, with his two best friends beside him, and felt a wave of nausea come over him; he couldn't stop himself from passing out in complete shock and dismay.

"Harry!" Many people in the room cried, including his father, who rushed to his side as Ron lay him down on the carpet, his own face pale with shock. If James had of being paying attention to the people around them, he would've noticed that many were in tears of happiness, whilst others still looked suspicious.

The father role seemed to come instinctively; James immediately pushed up his sons bangs, and felt his forehead, completely ignoring the lightening bolt scar. It felt normal. _Must just be the shock…_

"Everyone calm down! Harry has passed out; indeed, most of us would if our dead fathers just walked into the room one day! Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger, bring him upstairs to rest, we must discuss this miracle, and the new dangers we now face. The celebrations will be later." McGonagall said sharply, blinking her eyes rapidly so that the tears would not show.

Hermione immediately cast a levitation spell and the two carefully brought Harry out of the crowded room, both looking behind their shoulders at James, who still sat on the floor, staring at Harry.

James wanted very badly to go with them, but new he had to stay and talk…he clearly could not speak to his son at the moment anyway.

It took a while for the room to get organized again, for many people could not contain themselves, and embraced James with complete and utter joy. Eventually though, long after Hermione and Ron had come back downstairs, the explanations began, with James sitting in between a still balling Molly and a very nervous looking wizard who seemed humbled to be sitting beside the legendary man.

He told them all he could remember from that Halloween night almost 16 years before, with Remus helping him by explaining how he had discovered James was alive.

When the two were done their explanations, no one new what to say, the room was silent.

"Mr. Potter, I daresay that we have all missed you very much, I myself am very happy about this, I only wish that Albus were here as well…"

James flashed a grin at his old transfiguration teacher, attempting to lighten the mood slightly; he was never so good at showing his feelings…only to Lily. The thought of his deceased wife caused his face to tighten, but he maintained his current expression.

"James must be brought up to speed on all the happenings of the Order, including all the stuff that happened after we thought him dead." Mr. Weasley said. Everyone in the room agreed with this.

"Before that, however, I think that Mr. Potter should go and be with his boy." Moody growled from the corner, "He can be brought up to date as time progresses, he probably won't have much time to spend with him…plus, we have to decide if we're going to keep him in hiding, so that the press doesn't get wind of this and Voldemort finds out. The last thing we need is the Dark Lord to intensify his search for our headquarters."

"He already knows…" Harry said quietly from the doorway, his face was ashen and his clothes wrinkled. He quickly walked into the room, his eyes never leaving his fathers, he circled around his dad and stood by Ron, looking unsure of the man before him.

"What?" Tonks questioned, bemused.

"I had another vision; Voldemort was in it…so was he." Harry said, pointing at his dad.

"What happened in it?" Hermione asked, her voice was squeaky from all the drama that had unfolded so far.

"_Wormtail…" _

"_Yes, my master?"_

"_I have just received some very disturbing news about an old friend of yours…" Voldemort hissed from under his cloak._

"_W-which friend?" Wormtail stuttered as he stumbled to his feet._

"_James Potter…he has presumably risen from the dead…his grave is now empty. I thought that when I lost my powers he had died under that curse, but then again I was young and foolish…and did not know much about such dark magic…"_

"_M-master, may I ask…what are you going to do?" _

"_He must be killed, of course…or perhaps, he can be used…" _

_All of a sudden Voldemort turned from Wormtail, and was looking directly at Harry. "Mr. Potter, perhaps you should rethink not telling me the prophecy…I just may have to use other forms of torture…" _

_Harry instantly new what that meant as a cold chill when down his spine, Voldemort was going to use his father to get to him…just like how he used Sirius. _

"Then he used cruciatus on me, and I woke up." Harry explained to the room, trying very hard to ignore his dad.

James frowned, for he had not been told by Remus that Harry had visions about Tom Riddle.

"Are you sure it wasn't just a dream, mate?" Ron asked unsurely.

"Was it just a dream when your dad was attacked?" Harry replied stubbornly.

The red head immediately fell silent.

"There is no point in keeping this secret if the dark lord already knows, I will inform the Ministry of Magic right away, perhaps the Minister can offer up some more protection, there is much to be done, so if there is nothing more to discuss, I believe this meeting should be called to a close." McGonagall stated.

James frowned, for he had not been told by Remus that Harry had visions about Tom Riddle.

All of the Weasley's looked at Harry expectantly. The teen sighed; this was going to be much harder now that his back from the dead father was sitting in the room. "There is something that I need to tell you all, and this _must_ remain secret, if Voldemort finds out there is no way its going to work."

"Go on, Harry." The headmistress said, knowing at once that the green eyed boy was going to tell them all about Dumbledore's mission for him.

Harry quickly explained the secret training he had been receiving from Dumbledore last year, including the memories of Tom Riddle, the horcruxes, and his and Dumbledore's final trip together…to the cave. Instead of trying to avoid Ginny's eyes this time, he was trying to avoid his fathers, which was very hard because he felt as if he needed to look at him to insure that he was real.

Harry carried on, "I am the only person that can kill Voldemort, no matter how hard you all try, this is my destiny. There was a prophecy…made by a witch, Voldemort either has to kill me, or I have to kill him. There is no other way…if I die; Voldemort will have nothing in his way to stop him…that's why I need to go and destroy these pieces of Voldemort's soul, you can't just Avada Kedevra him and that's it."

McGonagall's lips had gone so thin that it didn't even look like she had any, and the room was extremely tense. "When do you plan on beginning your search?"

"Well, it'll take a lot of research to find one…and then I have to go and get it, and figure out how to destroy it…they could be anywhere in Britain, maybe in other countries."

"We will help you in any way we can, do not hesitate. Now, go and spend some time with your dad, enjoy this miracle while there is still time. Go to Hogwarts, even though it is shut down, it is still well guarded, and aurors will be placed around its perimeters as well. You can spend the night and all meals will be provided for you in the guest quarters."

Harry was hesitant about spending time alone with the man he had only met hours ago, and had passed out in front of, but he knew not to argue, not only because it would piss the professor off, but because it would probably hurt his dad tremendously. He went upstairs without a word to grab a few things.

"James, I will send someone to Diagon Alley to get you some new robes, and some muggle clothes as well. A piece of advice, he is a grown man now, capable of making his own decisions, and you must not treat him like a child…however hard that may be. You are like a stranger to him, try being his friend before his dad." McGonagall said seriously, although inside she was so happy for the two that she could burst.

Harry was soon downstairs again. The meeting had been dismissed, and he was saying goodbye to the Weasley family, Professor Lupin and Tonks.

Ginny seemed to have put what happened yesterday in the back of her head, for she smile brightly at him, extremely happy that he had finally gotten the dad he had always wanted.

"Harry, we'll start looking at some books concerning the horcruxes while you're gone…don't even think about Voldemort while you're at Hogwarts…your dad is alive, so enjoy it for a while, okay?" Hermione whispered.

Harry new it would be hard to stop thinking about what was happening in the real word for a few days, with all those innocent people dying and him doing nothing about it, but he also new that this would probably be the only real, quality time he was going to be able to talk to and spend with his dad, before the war hit full force. Hell, he or his dad could end up dead after it was over, or before.

So Harry nodded his head, mumbled good-bye, and stepped towards the old rubber ball that was sitting on the coffee table, it was a portkey. Both he and James looked at each other unsurely before grasping either end of it.

As Harry felt the familiar jerk above his navel, the last thing he heard was Tonks yelling, "HAVE FUN YOU TWO!" as he and his father banged into each other, the wind messing up their already flyaway hair.

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**TBC**


	8. Back To Hogwarts

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: Hope you like! _

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**To Rise Again**

_**Chapter 7- Back to Hogwarts**_

The two Potter's stumbled when their feet hit the floor of great hall with tremendous force. Their luggage of clothes falling with a great thunk, inches in front of Harry's toes.

James was amazed, the great hall looked exactly the way it did the last time he had been here. Minus one thing, there was no laughter or shouting, no kids, no teachers…completely deserted.

"Erm, I guess I'll take our stuff to the guest rooms, I'll be back in a minute." Harry said awkwardly, figuring his 'dad' needed to get his bearings back.

"Oh, yeah I'll just be right here…" James replied, still looking all around him.

Harry levitated the trunks and made a right at the end of the hall.

Only a few minutes had passed, and James had found himself examining some framed medals on the wall, clearly the school had wanted to show them off, or they'd be in the trophy room. Before he could get a closer look however, he heard a scuffling behind.

"Harry Potter sir! What are you doing here?" A squeaky voice suddenly said, causing him to jump ten feet into the air.

James turned around sharply with his wand out, and found himself looking down at a house elf, a very odd house elf, for he was wearing a tea cozy and mismatched socks.

"Wait, you are not Harry Potter! A poor disguise for even the most juvenile wizard, you even forgot his scar!" The house elf squeaked, backing away upon noticing the missing scar and the different colour of eyes.

As if on cue, Harry walked back into the great hall, the trunks now gone and his wand in his pocket.

"Harry, this house elf thinks I'm pretending to be you, do you know him?" James asked, forgetting that he and his son had just met, and only intent on getting the elf off of his back. As he said this he began to walk towards Harry, his wand dangling at his side.

Big mistake.

"Look out, Harry Potter sir!" The elf cried in terror, jumping between the two wizards.

"Dobby! Don't!" Harry finally managed to yell, once he finally understood what was going on. It was too late however; Dobby had used his own magic to lift James up into the air, and send him skidding down the hall, stopping inches from the oak doors.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT FOR!" James yelled, clearly very confused and injured.

Dobby turned around and looked at the real Harry Potter, his eyes showing confusion.

Harry couldn't help it as he looked from the wizard to the elf, he burst out into fits of laughter, it was just too funny not to. "D-Dobby, he's m-my DAD!" He gasped as he tried to regain his posture.

"It isn't funny!" James yelled as he limped across the room, rubbing throbbing bottom.

Dobby looked back at James fearfully, his thin fingers covering his mouth in horror. "Dobby is sorry Harry Potter sir! Dobby thought he was going to hurt you!" He gasped, and before Harry could reply, he ran full tilt for the suit of amour to his right, clearly intending on punishing himself.

Harry however, had his wand out in less than a second, and had transfigured the armor into a massive pillow with ease.

Dobby simply bounced back, completely unhurt, but still looking massively upset.

James had stopped mumbling in pain to watch his son use magic for the first time. "Good reflexes and amazing transfiguration….our mother was good at it too." He said lowly, not sure if he really meant for Harry to hear him.

"Err, thanks." Harry said as he stowed his wand away. He quickly turned his attention back to the house elf, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Dobby, don't go hurting yourself anymore okay? Don't worry about it."

"If Harry Potter says so!" Dobby squeaked, "Mr. Harry Potter's father, I am sorry that I thought you was a death eater, Dobby just doing his duty!"

James frowned but said, "Don't worry about it; it was just a big misunderstanding."

Dobby bowed very low before saying, "I must get back to the kitchens now, sirs. I must inform the other house elves of your arrival so we can make you guys some supper!" With that, the elf gave the two a toothy smile before running down the length of the hall.

James shook his head and said, "That is one crazy house elf…and not just the personality, he was wearing clothes too!"

Harry smirked and said, "I met him in second year, and trust me, you don't know the half of it."

James gave him a quizzical look, and listened with curiosity as Harry told him about how he had first met Dobby. By the time that Harry had finally gotten to the broken arm part, they had made their way to the great lake without even realizing it.

They decided to sit underneath the tree that Harry remembered from Dumbledore's pensive. After Harry had finished his story, the two sat in a peaceful silence, all the tension had vanished…momentarily.

"I have so many memories of this place…" James said wistfully, his eyes misting slightly when he thought of Lily.

"Yeah, so do I." Harry replied, thinking darkly about how some of them were not good ones. His emerald eyes deepened in colour as he thought about the chase last May, and how he had let Snape get away.

"So, has your life so far turned out okay?" James asked bluntly, figuring that he may as well get it out there.

"I won't lie…it's been rough, but I've handled it okay I guess. The Weasley's really helped me out a lot."

"I've heard that your quite the adventurer…gotten yourself into loads of trouble." James pressed on, eager to hear about his sons life through his own perspective.

"Yeah, I have…has cost some people their lives too." Harry replied without really thinking. "Errrr I mean…uhmmm" He followed quickly, not wanting at all to discuss his dark feelings with this man he barely knew.

James couldn't be fazed however, and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, I don't feel like talking about it." Harry said somewhat sharply, causing his father to drop the subject, he didn't want any conflicts between them right now.

"So, you, Ron and Hermione are pretty close I guess?"

"We've been through a lot together, they're my best friends, I don't know what I would do without them." Harry replied, "You know, Sirius talked about you a lot before he died…I didn't even have to ask to know that you guys were really close growing up."

"Sirius was quite the guy, but I guess you already know that. I'm going to miss him a lot."

"Well, if it's any consolation…he was killed saving my life." Harry found himself saying, and before he could stop, he had told James about the incident in the department of mysteries.

James had a sad smile on his face as he looked over the lake, watching the giant squid make his tentacles dance in the air before going beneath the water again. "Sirius always wanted to go out being the hero, and I'm grateful for what he did, I knew from the day you were born that he would protect you to the end."

Harry said nothing to this, and simply gazed forward, quietly admiring the sweeping green grass.

James observed his son silently; he looked very tired and broken down, like he had seen more horrible things in his life than any other wizard had in a lifetime. However, there was also a look of determination in his young face. He knew that his son would never stop fighting until there was nothing left to fight for. _I'm going to help him do this, I'll be damned if I'm going to lose time with my son again. _With that thought in his mind, he settled more comfortably against the tree and let out a small sigh of satisfaction.

"You know what's weird?" Harry suddenly asked.

"What?"

"Well, you only look a couple of years older than me, but you really should look 21 years older."

"I suppose you could call it a perk, in some odd, twisted way." James replied. "You know, we still have a few more hours until dinner, want to get a few rounds of quidditch in? I heard that you were pretty good."

Harry hesitated; it had been a long time since he had last played a real game with someone who actually had some equal skill. He had brought his broom though, mostly through force of habit. 'You don't have a broom though."

"That can easily be fixed; I'll grab one from the broom shed and meet you on the pitch okay?" James grinned.

"Hmm, okay then." Harry gave in; he made his way to the pitch, and with his wand stuck in the air, yelled, "Accio firebolt!" The broom was at his side within a minute. Not long afterwards, James came into view; he was riding a nimbus 2000, and had a box under one arm.

"Seems like Madame Hooch left this in her locker for the summer, think she'll mind?" James grinned mischievously, patting the handle of the broom.

Harry shook his head, smiled and mounted his firebolt.

James released the tiny snitch and one bludger. "Let's see who can catch the snitch without getting knocked off their broom first!" He said.

"Fine with me!" Harry said, kicking off and shooting into the sky quicker than James could blink.

"Not fair!" James yelled up as he quickly mounted the nimbus and joined his son in the air.

**TBC**

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_I know that it isn't very long, and I'm terribly sorry that the update took so long, but because I'm coming to the end of my final high school year, it's been a very busy time, not to mention I'm starting to get writers block and I work 6 days a week! I'm trying my best! Please feel free to give me any suggestions! _


	9. The Nightmares

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it.**_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: I'm thinking about doing a time jump after this chapter...perhaps 4 or 5 months. I'm thinking about doing this because destroying the horcruxes isn't the focal point of this story… I have some plans concerning Voldy, James and Harry…lots of angst…tell me what you think.

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_

**To Rise Again**

Chapter 8- The Nightmares

After a rather rigorous game of Quidditch, Harry and James walked back up to the castle from the broom shed. They were arguing playfully about who had won overall, even though it didn't matter.

Harry shivered, the sun was barely visible beyond the forest and the sweat that glistened on his skin was cold. "How about we have a shower in our quarters and then get something to eat?" He asked as they walked through the wooden doors.

The loud grumble that came from James stomach was the only answer he needed. "So where exactly is this room we're staying in located?"

"It's near the kitchens." Harry said as he led his father down the hall and through some twisting corridors.

Finally, after at least another 10 minutes of walking, they came across a large oak door. Harry pulled hard on the handle and stepped back to let James in first.

James scanned the living quarters, immediately impressed by its vanity and size. The carpet beneath his feet was thick, and a large couch facing the fireplace looked extremely inviting. Adjoining the living area was a polished marble kitchen, and past that was a hall with two bedrooms parallel from the other. The large windows overlooked the mountains beyond the castle's boundaries.

"This is quite the place eh?" He grinned at his son. _Probably reserved for the big shots at the ministry…_

Harry smiled; his green eyes bright. "Both of our rooms have adjoining bathrooms. I don't know about you, but I feel disgusting."

"Here, here." James agreed heartily.

"See you in a bit then." Harry said as he entered his bedroom and shut the door behind him. He immediately went over to his suitcase and pulled out some fresh clothing. A pair of dark blue jeans that actually fit him properly and a white shirt. He headed towards his bathroom and turned on the hot water.

In the other bedroom, James was in the process of doing much of the same thing. There was a suitcase on his bed as well, with a note placed neatly on top of his folded clothes.

_James_

_Molly Weasley went to Diagon Alley and picked out all of your clothes, she hopes that you find them suitableh; she was not sure what to buy. There are more clothes waiting for you at headquarters. On a more serious note, I do believe that you have another account at Gringotts, which was supposed to be turned over to Harry when he turned 18 in the event of your death. In order for you to take over that account again, you must go to the bank and get all of your affairs there in order. As you can assume that if you don't, you will have no legal access to the vault. I will not trouble you with anything more at the moment; the rest will wait upon your return tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your time at Hogwarts…_

_Glad to have you back, Minivera McGonagall _

James tossed the letter to the side and pulled out something fresh to wear. The jeans were blue and the shirt was a maroon colour. Hardly glancing at what he had picked up, he went to the washroom; the prospect of a warm shower was already making him feel warmer.

Meanwhile, Harry was just finishing up. He quickly opened the door to his steamy bathroom and put on his jeans. Before putting on his shirt, he examined himself in the mirror, something he didn't do very often. His hair had grown longer than usual; the front was almost down to his eyes. It was still as wild as ever, sticking up this way and that. He body however, had made a drastic change. His skinny frame had bulked up during the summer, and a bit of a six pack could be seen, nothing huge though. The body builder on steroids look just didn't appeal to him.

Harry frowned at his appearance before putting on his shirt; he hoped that he had trained himself hard enough. The experience last May had left him thinking that he needed to become stronger. He had tired quickly in that cave; if he had not of pushed himself he and Dumbledore would have never made it out. _Not that it matters, Dumbledore died anyways…_He thought bitterly, the familiar stab of anger and guilt hitting him for the umpteenth time since it happened.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and get some of the water droplets out of his hair; they were beginning to slide down his back. Harry hung his towel back up and headed to the living area, stuffing his wand back in his pocket.

James was sitting on the couch comfortably, a silver platter sat on the table in front of him, laden with food. "That Dobby elf brought it up for us, he also gave me a portkey that will take us back to headquarters tomorrow, it activates at noon." James explained with a grin.

Harry nodded and took a seat beside him, grabbing a plate and shoving food on it.

James followed suit and not long after both Potter's were leaning back, massaging their stomachs and groaning.

"I don't ever want to see food again…" Harry moaned.

"Ughhh…" Was the older mans only answer.

The two sat there and waited for their stomachs to recover, watching as the starry night took over the violet sky.

"Lily loved this time of day…" James suddenly said unexpectedly.

"Why?" Harry asked, his churning stomach no longer an issue.

James smiled wistfully, "She liked being able to curl up in front of the fire and find constellations from out the window."

"You know, everyone always told me more about you than mum when I first came to Hogwarts."

James looked at him with a frown, "Well, I've got plenty of stories about Lily Potter, want to hear about them?"

Harry nodded his head.

The two talked late into the night, and did not go to bed until James had told Harry a story about every year he and his mum had been at Hogwarts, and thereafter.

When Harry finally stumbled underneath his covers, he felt content…but confused emotionally. Before, he had been willing to die fighting Voldemort, now he wanted to continue his life and catch up with his father. Finally, he came to the conclusion that he would do what he was destined to do, and if it came down to it, he would die protecting everyone that he loved.

Sleep finally overcame him as he drifted off, thoughts still swimming around in his head…

_He was in a dark chamber; it reeked of death and blood. Harry looked around, his eyes wide. To his horror, Voldemort stood not 5 feet in front of him. "Hello, Harry." The man hissed. _

"_Fuck you." He spat back, anger coursing through him. _

"_Have you decided whether or not to tell me the prophecy?" Voldemort said coolly._

"_I'll never tell you anything." Harry said without a thought._

"_Pity...you could have prevented a lot of torture for yourself…and your father." Voldemort said, not sounding sorry at all. _

_Before Harry could retort, the evil wizard screamed, "Crucio!" and all he felt was pain… _

James was in the opposite room, and he also looked to be having some sort of nightmare, he was twisting in his bed and muttering…

_James looked around the dark chamber, confusion written on his face. He had been dreaming of Lily and Harry, and all of a sudden the picture had changed into this one. He saw a tall, skinny figure to his right. A surge of panic shot through him._

"_James Potter, you are very lucky to be alive, and Lord Voldemort confesses…I was foolish for forgetting…"_

_James felt his mouth drop open in shock. "Voldemort?" He said, not really believing what he was hearing. _

"_Ah yes, my appearance must confuse you…the last time we met I was younger, and had not yet experienced the pain of my soul being ripped from my body…" _

"_You…you son of a bitch! You killed Lily! I'll fucking kill you with my bare hands!" James suddenly roared, lunging towards the dark lord. _

_Voldemort used wandless magic to throw him backwards. "If you want to spare your son anymore pain I suggest you tell me the prophecy." He hissed._

_James said nothing, this was a dream…just a dream._

_Voldemort laughed softly, and stepped aside so James could see behind him._

_What the older Potter saw made his heart drop to feet. Harry was on the ground, writhing and twisting under the cruciatus curse. _

"_HARRY!" He cried as Voldemort cackled. His sons screams rang in his ears…he had to do something…_

James awoke violently. He shot up in his bed, the screams still ringing in his ears…it only took him seconds to realize that he was hearing screaming for real, from Harry's bedroom.

Lurching out of the master bed, James grabbed his wand and burst through Harry's door. Momentarily shocked at the sight he saw, Harry was shaking and rolling around in his bed, screaming and moaning in pain. "HARRY WAKE UP! YOU'RE DREAMING! HARRY!" He bellowed as he ran to the bedside, shaking the teen by his shoulders.

Getting desperate, he pointed his wand at Harry and yelled, "Enervate!"

Harry immediately snapped his eyes open and looked up at James. "I'm…I'm okay." He said as soon as his bearings came back to him, sitting up. He ignored the aches and pains he was feeling and gave James a feeble grin.

"You…he…you can feel him curse you in a dream?" James whispered in horror.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Harry muttered.

"I saw him do it Harry, in my dream! I woke up and I heard you screaming from the cruciatus!" James exclaimed, offended that Harry would lie to him.

"Listen…James…I'm used to this sort of stuff by now, I can handle it." He replied.

James sat back in the bed, momentarily stunned. _Did he just call me James? I'm his bloody father!" _He thought indignantly, but upon the unsure look on the boys face, he decided to say nothing. _I'll talk to Remus later…_

Sighing, James stood up. "You sure you're going to be ok?"

Harry nodded and fell back into his pillows, feeling sick.

"Alright, well if you need anything you know where I am…see you in the morning then." He said awkwardly before leaving the room and shutting the door.

_Why the bloody hell did I call him James? The man is your father; he willingly set down his life for you! _He cursed himself angrily. However, as much as he berated himself he knew that there was a reason why he only referred to James as his father, and didn't directly call him it. _He hasn't been your father for 16 years…he's practically a stranger still…_Harry groaned in confusion, his aching head and muscles were not helping solve his problem.

Sighing, Harry rolled over in his bed and attempted to fall back asleep, he knew he was in for a restless night.

Meanwhile, James was sitting on the couch by the fire. He couldn't sleep, and it wasn't just the fact that Harry wasn't calling him dad, it was that bloody nightmare. _What is Voldemort planning? Is he really going to torture Harry? God I can't let that happen, not anymore. Christ…I can't tell that son of a bitch about the prophecy either, he'll kill Harry on the spot. _

James unfolded his long legs and walked to the windowpane, staring up at the twinkling stars. "I wish you were here Lily; you'd know what to do...you were always the smarter one…" He whispered, his voice was hoarse as he tried to hold back tears. "I…I miss you…" He choked out before sinking to his knees and staring at the ground. His vision became blurry and he blinked rapidly. He was an auror…aurors weren't supposed to cry!

The tears would not be stemmed, and they formed tiny puddles on the ground before him. James wiped his eyes furiously, stood up and stumbled back to the sofa. He would be damned before Voldemort took his son away from him too. _Harry may be the on destined to do you in Voldemort, but I'll get my turn, and I'll make you feel the pain you've caused me, my family and ever other person you've tortured or killed. _He thought as he fingered his wand, his hazel eyes burning with anger.

James Potter did not move from his position on the sofa until the sun began to rise in the air, and the stars disappeared as the sky took the shade of violet and orange.

* * *

**TBC**

I'm sorry that this took so long guys. I originally planned on posting it a month ago, I had the chapter written, and then my computer decided to mysteriously erase all of my documents. I had to retype two ten page essays, one partially done essay and this chapter. I didn't have the time to retype it in June because of final exams and projects…but now I'm done high school so it shouldn't be so bad anymore. My prom is actually this coming Monday! It's pretty exciting! Anyways, I hope you guys think it was worth the wait. I thank you all for the unbelievable support:D

Love you all…

Ashley


	10. Meeting and Reminiscing

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it.**_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: I've decided to do the time jump, but don't worry; there will be plenty of Harry/James getting to know each other…_

_I think I should get a reward for this guys (jk!)…I updated in less than 15 days! Aren't you all so proud of me:D

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_

**To Rise Again**

_**Chapter 9- Meeting and Reminiscing** _

_January 1st, 2006 _

James drummed his fingers against the wooden table. He was staring at the door at the opposite side of the room, completely unfazed by the loud noises the other patrons in Three Broomsticks were making. He had been waiting for his son for over 30 minutes now, and he was starting to worry slightly.

Ever since they had returned from Hogwarts, the two had hardly found the time to meet up and chat. James himself had been extremely busy catching up on all the new information about Voldemort, and getting all of his affairs in order. Representatives from newspapers and magazines still managed to track him down and beg for an interview, and it was all quite annoying. Harry often disappeared for days at a time with Hermione and Ron, he and everyone else assumed that the reason had to do with the horcruxes. Nobody questioned them, except perhaps Molly, since they had vowed to stay out of it unless the trio asked for help.

Sighing, James took a large swig of his fire whisky, ignoring a young wizard who had just walked by and nearly dropped his butterbeer at the sight of him. "Can I help you?" He finally asked when the wizard did not move.

"Are…are you James Potter?" The young man stammered; his eyes wide.

"Yah." James said simply.

"Wow…" The man said in awe before moving along.

However, to James great annoyance, he sat at a table directly opposite of him, and continued to stare at him in amazement.

He was just about to say something to the kid, who couldn't be much older than Harry, when a blast of cold air entered the room. Looking up, he saw the tall form of his son as he made his way to him.

Harry shook the snow out of his hair and sat down heavily.

Rosemerta, the bar tender, was over in an instant to take his order.

"Just a butterbeer, I'm bloody freezing." Harry said before she could ask. Nodding, she walked away and returned almost instantly. She gave James a warm smile before walking back to the bar, her heels clicking in constant motion.

Harry sipped the warm liquid and leaned back in his chair.

"You look exhausted." James stated.

Harry smiled tiredly. "It's all worth it, I've figured out the location of Ravenclaw's crown," He kept his voice low as he spoke, "It's actually in the graveyard by Godric's Hollow…"

James nodded gravely. Lily and he had requested to be buried on their own property because the graveyard in the area was rumored to be cursed.

"Ron and Hermione can't come with me on this one, I thought that maybe you might want to come…I mean, it's not exactly your typical father/son outing but I know that you wanted to help me with the horcruxes."

James nodded. It had bothered him when Harry and his friends had gone out on those dangerous missions, but he never had the chance to go and watch out for them, partially because he was doing other Order duties, and he didn't want to push Harry away by babying him. His worry had intensified after the last horcruxe, and he was extremely happy that his son was asking for his help.

Harry and Three Broomsticks faded away as James reminisced over that horrible day last November…

_The Burrow…_

_James and Remus were pouring over a huge spreadsheet of plans. There had been a rumored attack on Remus's hometown, Wolfforth, and they were studying the blueprints and trying to figure out where aurors could be stationed safely as a lookout. _

"_You two must be hungry, eat some dinner." Molly suddenly entered the sitting room, carrying two plates laden with food. She was holding both plates in one hand, and carrying a peculiar clock in the other. _

_Remus looked at the clock and sighed, "Molly, clutching onto that clock is not going to bring the three of them back. You know what Harry is up against…its normal that they haven't checked back yet."_

_A small tear leaked out of Molly's eye as she set the plates down on the table. 'They've been gone for seven days! They've never been gone this long before without sending word on their welfare!" She suddenly wailed. _

_Remus gave James a pleading look before taking a seat beside the distraught mother. "If there are any three wizards and witches that can look after themselves its Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter." _

"_I'm s-sorry…I just worry about them so m-much…" She sniffed as she wiped her eyes. "…and G-Ginny…she's been so quiet lately, I'm s-scared she's going to go with them t-too…" _

"_Harry won't let her go, come to think of it, neither will Ron or Hermione." James chipped in as he played with his food. He was worried sick about the trio, but he new not to voice his opinion…he didn't know Harry well enough yet. Hell, he still hadn't earned the title of dad yet. _

"_James is right. If they need help they know to come here or Grimmuald Place, if you want to help them then stop worrying…it only makes it harder for them to leave again." Remus said gently. _

_Molly sighed and stood up. "I know you're right…it's just hard. Well, I think I'll go and check on Ginny, make sure she eats something…" With that, she left the room, still holding tightly onto her clock. _

"_You know…she had a point. They usually do check in by the second day…" James said seriously. _

"_I know, but that woman has enough stress on her shoulders already. If we show our worry for them I'm afraid she'd break down and-"_

_Remus never got to finish his sentence, for a loud crash was heard at the backdoor, followed by hurried footsteps. _

_The two men sprang to their feet, James was strongly reminded of when Voldemort had broken into his house… but this thought was shattered by Ron's strangled cry…_

"_WE NEED HELP! HARRY'S HURT! HURRY!" _

_James shot Remus a panicked looked before sprinting out of the living area, above them, footsteps could be heard thundering down the many flights of stairs. _

_The two were first to reach the destination of Ron's voice, and burst into the kitchen, both of their faces pale. James felt lightheaded at what he saw. Harry was lying on the tiled floor, blood pooling around his unconscious frame. Ron's robes were soaked with the red liquid, he had obviously carried Harry. He was panting with exhaustion._

_Hermione had blood smeared on her face, but she didn't seem to notice it. She was kneeling by Harry, trying to get a better look at his wounds._

"_WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAPPENED?" James yelled as he rushed to the teenagers' side. _

_Ron said nothing, only a strangled noise was emitted from his throat, it was as if he was in to much shock to speak. _

"_W-we destroyed the horcruxe…a dagger that belonged to Gryffindor…e-everything seemed to be fine and then all of a sudden Harry s-started to b-bleed. Nothing would s-stop it and soon he lost so much he f-fainted." Hermione wailed miserably. _

_By this time, Molly had entered the room; she was staring at the group with a chalk white face. Ginny was behind her, her eyes were wide with horror. _

"_We need blood replenishing potions…NOW!" Remus said quickly. _

_James lifted Harry up and quickly carried him to the sitting room. Hermione conjured up a white bed, which the young man was quickly set on. Molly had come to her senses, and had torn down to the pantry. She always kept a blood replenishing potion in stock…with her amount of children it was a necessity. _

_She ran back and gave it to Remus with trembling hands. _

"_How is that going to work if he just keeps bleeding?" Ron whispered._

"_It will prolong death…" Remus stated, "Molly…you need to go to St. Mungos and get all of these potions you can…go there and to any potions shop…its not yet 9pm…hurry before everything begins to close. In fact, go to the Ministry and get Arthur to go with you. He can make up a reason for needing so many…" He continued to ramble on._

_Without a word, the mother of 7 disappeared with a pop. _

_James stared at Harry and felt as if he was going to be sick. He could not lose his son…he couldn't…not now…not ever…_

_Hermione suddenly stood up, her eyes wide as she looked from Harry to Ron. "Oh god…how could we have missed it…how could we have been so stupid!" She muttered. _

"_Hermione? What are you talking about?" Remus inquired, still forcing the potion down Harry's throat. _

"_I new it was too easy…oh merlin…" She continued to mutter._

"_HERMIONE! What the HELL are you going on about?" James said a little louder than intended. _

_The young witch snapped out of her reverie and whispered, "On the stone tablets in the cave…there was pictures…but we didn't pay any attention to them…we were too busy waiting for inferi or something to appear. On the first one was a man…the second…a knife…and then the third showed a liquid substance, it must have been blood. There was an inscription. It was on the dagger, but we couldn't understand what it said…god it was so simple." _

"_I'm sorry James; I never should have let him destroy it before breaking that inscription…it's my entire fault." She said tearfully._

"_No it isn't Hermione, don't blame yourself." James replied quietly, attempting to give her a smile._

"_Hermione, what did that inscription say?" Remus asked. _

_The young woman suddenly whipped out the remaining two parts of a beautiful dagger. It was broken at the red and gold hilt. Ignoring the startled gasps that came from everyone except Ron, she placed the broken pieces together and showed the people in the room what it said. _

_**htiw siht reggad semoc a esruc **_

_**tpemtta ot yortsed ti, uoy tnow ed eht tsrif**_

_**nehw eht tlih skcarc **_

_**htead lliw evirra**_

_**ylno eht eurt tnadnecsed fo rodniffyrg llahs evivrus **_

_**dna neve eh llahs leef niap **_

_**ni hcihw ylno eht ssik fo erup evol nac emat**_

"_What the hell does that mean?" James asked impatiently. _

_Remus stared at the hilt, his brow wrinkled in concentration. _

_Trembling slightly, Hermione used her wand to project the inscription into the air, and then twisted the words around. _

_**With this dagger comes a curse**_

_**Attempt to destroy it, you won't be the first**_

**_When the hilt crack's _**

_**Death will arrive**_

_**Only the true descendant of Gryffindor shall survive**_

_**And even he shall feel pain **_

**_In which only the kiss of pure love can tame _**

"_Like I said…it was so simple…too simple…" Hermione whispered _

"_That…that bastard. No wonder he made this one of his horcruxes. He didn't even have to put a curse on it, there already was on placed by Godric Gryffindor himself!" Remus sputtered. _

"_The likelihood that a direct descendant of Gryffindor would try and destroy it wasn't very likely. I mean, a direct descendant would probably want to keep it as a heirloom if they found it…"_

"_Unless it was a horcruxe." Ginny finished quietly. _

"_I guess Godric didn't count on Lord V-Voldemort rising, or it being made into a horcruxe…" Ron said throatily, still staring at Harry. _

"_And Voldemort didn't count on Harry being a descendant and being destined to destroy his horcruxes either…" Hermione said, if it weren't for their present situation, she would be laughing at the irony. _

"_So…what does this mean for Harry?" James asked. _

"_Well, I guess this means that you two are descendants of Gryffindor…if you weren't Harry would be dead right now. I think the inscription is saying that Harry will continue to bleed if he doesn't get a 'kiss of pure love' and the only way to keep him alive is to pump him with blood replenishing potions…" Remus said quietly. _

_Ron and Hermione both looked at Ginny, who's face was as red as her hair. Before any of the three could say anything, Molly and Arthur both entered the room with a crack. Bottles of potions were being juggled in both of their hands. _

"_What the?" Molly gasped when she viewed the inscription, which was still floating semi-transparent in the air. _

"_Set the bottles down and I will explain in the kitchen…" Remus said quickly, getting up and forcing the two out of the room hurriedly. _

_When the three were gone James said, "I think we should get a better look at his wounds and give him another potion…" Not waiting for any sign of agreement, he sliced Harry's robes open with his wand and peeled the fabric away from his body. At least a dozen small, but very deep cuts littered his chest. _

"_I…I need some air…" Ron choked, practically running out of the room. _

_Hermione shot one meaningful look at Ginny and said, "I'll be right back…" before rushing off to make sure Ron was okay. _

"_Ginny, hand me one of those potions please…" James muttered, hardly noticing that the room was almost empty. _

_The young woman picked up a vial and walked over, almost crying out when she got a full view of Harry's chest. _

_I'm the only one that can fix this…she thought to herself as she watched the older Potter pour the liquid down Harry's throat. _

"_James, move aside for a moment." She said firmly, but she was still shaking. _

"_What?"_

"_Please, just step aside…I think I can help him." She repeated. _

_James frowned but let the young Weasley move in front of him. What happened next took him completely by surprise; Ginny bent down and gave his son a kiss. _

_However, what happened after the kiss was even more amazing, the gashes on Harry's body turned white, and then disappeared, leaving only a few tiny scars in their place. _

"_How…you…Harry?" James stuttered._

_Ginny gave him a watery smile. "I think…I think he still needs those potions to regain the blood he lost…but I'm pretty sure he'll be okay now…" She whispered before exiting the room silently. _

_James stared at the door before turning back to Harry, still trying to process what had just taken place…_

"Ummm James? Whoooohooo…anybody home in there!"

James snapped his head up and looked around, he was in Three Broomsticks, and Harry was waving his hand energetically in front of his face.

"Oh sorry, I was just thinking about the last horcruxe you destroyed…you know…the dagger." He apologized, carefully looking around the room, making sure that no one could hear him.

"Oh…" Harry replied. He remembered that day, well…up until he had collapsed, the next thing he knew he was laying on a conjured bed in the Burrow, feeling very weak. James had explained what had happened to him, and after everyone had visited, Ginny had shooed them all away, taking his weak state to her advantage to give him a good talking to.

She had tried to convince him that she understood the risks of being his girlfriend, and they she didn't care anymore. He hadn't budged on his decision though. She had been disappointed, but he promised her that as soon as this war was over and Voldemort was dead he would be all hers.

"So do you want to come with me tonight?" Harry asked, shoeing his thoughts of Ginny away.

"Of course I do."

"Alright…but I do have one condition and you have to swear to it. If it comes down to it, leave me behind. I won't have you being injured or dead on my conscious…I can't lose you again…okay?"

James frowned at Harry. _How the hell could I swear to leave my only son behind for dead? _

"Please James, Hermione and Ron both swore to it…" Harry persisted.

Sighing, James shook Harry's hand in agreement.

Satisfied with this, Harry nodded. He didn't notice that James other hand was behind his back, with his fingers crossed.

James smiled at his own cunning. Lily had shown him this muggle trick a long time ago, and explained that when you crossed your fingers behind your back, it meant that the promise you were making wasn't really a promise.

"Well, I suppose we should head back…there's a meeting in twenty minutes." Harry sighed before downing his butterbeer and putting his winter cloak back on.

James followed suit and dropped a gallon and some sickles on the table for their drinks before standing.

The two waved goodbye to Rosemerta before exiting, the bells on the door twinkling merrily. Neither of them noticed the young man that had bothered James earlier grinning oddly in his booth. "Master will be pleased…" He muttered to himself as he pulled his extendable ear towards him. He had acquired two years ago at Hogwarts, right before he had joined the ranks.

The man hissed in pain as his arm suddenly started to burn. He rose and left the cheery bar swiftly, apparating outside the door.

* * *

**TBC**

_Hmm, well this one was longer than my most recent one…I hope that it didn't drag on for you guys. Just so you know, I've made it so that Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley are the only ones able to apparate directly from their house because they are its owners…I know this is A/U from the book. _

_As for the mysterious death eater, he does not have a huge part; he was just a random character that I could use to spy on Harry and James as they spoke. Just so you know _

_As always, thanks for the support and keep pumping in those reviews, I can't believe I've topped a hundred already! _

_Ashley¤_


	11. The Graveyard and the Battle

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it.**_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: Sorry this took so long guys...I actually lost this chapter twice and suffered from some writers block...Itwas frustrating to write this chapter...especially when I had to start from scratch twice...man I can't wait to get my own laptop (this october)!_

_Anyways...enjoy!_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

**To Rise Again**

_**Chapter 10- The Graveyard and the Battle **_

_Grimmuald Place _

"You sure you don't want us to come?" Hermione asked from the bed.

"Yeah mate, you know that we'll cancel our plans in a second." Ron added from beside her.

Harry turned from the window and smiled. "You both deserve this break; besides...my dad is going to come with me. It'll be fine."

The two looked less than satisfied but they agreed nonetheless. They had not known until early that morning that Harry planned on going after the horcruxe, if he had of said something earlier neither of them would have mentioned their date the night before. Harry was insistent that they stay out of this one though.

_Well I suppose that it will give the two sometime together_, Hermione thought, deciding that she had better not press the issue. "Let us know when you've got it okay? I won't be able to sleep not knowing if you're safe or not." She finally said.

"The minute we've got it we'll come back. You've got my word." Harry grinned.

Somewhere from downstairs, a clock chimed.

"Well, I suppose we should get going then." Ron said as he stood. The idea of not going with Harry was bothering him more than he let on, but he knew that this was Harry's decision and he had to respect that to some degree.

Hermione nodded and hugged Harry tightly. "Do be careful, okay?"

"Don't worry…" Harry replied.

Ron stepped up to him after Hermione pulled away. "I'm going to keep that gallon from the D.A on me…you've got yours, right?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, if you need help just make it burn and we'll come right away."

"That I can agree to, but don't worry so much…enjoy you're date." Harry said, hugging his best friend roughly before heading down the stairs with them.

Some Order members were still in the kitchen, even though the meeting had ended over an hour ago. Tonks was giggling at something Remus had just said, and Molly was attempting to force feed James, who was looking extremely disgruntled. He was quite happy when the trio entered the room, and Molly began fussing over Ron and Hermione.

Harry had slipped away quickly and pulled up a chair by his dad.

"Oh _do_ be careful you two! Don't be wandering around when you can apparate either!" She lectured them.

After another 5 minutes of this fussing, Ron finally said loudly, "MUM, we're just going out to dinner and to one of those muggle movies. It'll be fine!"

Molly bit her lip and nodded, she just couldn't help but worry about every single thing these days.

"Ready, Hermione?" Ron asked.

The young witch nodded, and after saying hurried goodbyes and assuring everyone they wouldn't be late, the two stepped outside the house and apparated off the dark street outside with two tiny pops.

Harry grabbed a piece of toast and shoved it in his mouth, trying to eat quickly. Through his mouthfuls he mumbled to James, "You ready to leave?"

"Ready when you are." James replied, he looked nervous but positively excited at the same time.

Harry finished his toast and stood up.

"You're going tonight?" Remus asked as James stood as well.

"I want to get this one over with. After this it's just Voldemort and his snake…the faster I do this the less people that will die in the end." Harry replied.

Remus sighed; something in his stomach just wasn't sitting right. "I don't know about this guys, maybe I should come."

"Me too!" Tonks added quickly.

Harry shook his head. "No, you both have the night off, the only one in god knows how long. We'll be fine, right James?" He said confidently, choosing not to let on the fact that he also had a bad feeling in his stomach.

James nodded; he wanted to take advantage of this one on one time with his son, even though it was against his better judgment.

Remus frowned but gave up. He had promised not to push Harry, and he always kept his promises. "Just make sure you send word if you need help."

"No worries, it's all been taken care of. Ron has one of those gallons Hermione made in our 5th year. If we need some help I'll just make mine burn. He and Hermione know exactly where we're going." Harry replied smoothly.

Remus looked impressed, but not entirely satisfied. His werewolf instincts were telling him something was deeply amiss.

Molly pulled the two into a bone cracking hug, telling them that they had better be careful.

"We should be back by tomorrow if all goes well. I know exactly where this one is and it's in an area where apparating is possible." Harry said reassuringly before saying goodbye and heading outside.

The small group walked the Potter's to the door and murmured goodbyes.

Harry and James walked down the street a bit, enjoying the open space.

The air was biting cold, but refreshing compared to the musty smell in Sirius's old house. "Alright, let's do this." He said, watching as his breath crystallized in the air before fading away again. Harry felt for the fake gallon in his robes, reassuring himself that it was there, before remembering the three rules of apparation. _Destination, Determination, Deliberation…_he thought before turning and apparating. His father quickly followed and soon the street was empty once again.

_Meanwhile…In a Place Unknown…_

Voldemort surveyed the group of his followers, his red eyes gleaming in the shadowy room. It was pathetic really; he had to assemble 7 of his death eaters to complete this mission successfully.

Some of the masked men stood tall, their chests puffed out with pride. A few of them trembled, fearing failure and punishment.

"You know what to do, bring them to me alive…both of them. If either of them is killed you will all suffer the same fate. Do I make myself clear?" Voldemort hissed from his chair, playing with his wand as he spoke.

The group nodded simultaneously.

"Wormtail…"

"Y-yes my lord?" The shortest of the figures stuttered.

"Do _not_ disappoint me. Your part of the plan is vital and if you fail there may not be another chance…"

"I will n-not fail." Wormtail mumbled.

"Then go, and I suggest you don't return unless you have both of the Potter's with you." Voldemort said menacingly, glaring at the group and laughing silently about how they feared him.

The group of death eaters did not hesitate as they bowed and swiftly left the room, none of them saying a word.

_Soon Harry Potter, soon I will have the prophecy…_

Voldemort let out a shrill laugh, one that would send shivers down someone's spine. It bounced off the cement walls, more menacing than ever before…

_The Cemetery by Godrics Hollow, Several Hours Later _

Harry wiped his sweaty brow as he and James walked down the dark path in the cemetery. They had found Helga's cup without much trouble, and since Harry had much experience in destroying the horcruxes, breaking it had been fairly simple. In fact, it was probably the easiest horcruxe he had found and destroyed since the diary back in second year.

James kept looking around apprehensively. "It was just too easy Harry; it's almost as if Voldemort made it simple on purpose..." He said as his son stuffed the pieces of the gold cup in his robes.

"Maybe we just got lucky this time?" Harry said half-heartedly, although he new that something was not right.

James raised an eyebrow and replied, "Since when have you been lucky?"

"Good point." Harry chuckled lightly.

James grinned and the two continued to head for the gates, where they would be able to exit and apparate back to safety. As they got closer, they immediately noticed that the gates were wide open.

"Harry? Did you leave the gate open when we came in?" James asked nervously.

The young man shook his head and pulled out his wand. "I locked it back up so no muggles would wander in."

"I suppose we should get a better look then? I mean someone is obviously here so we might as well see who…" James said cautiously as he pulled out his wand and muttered, "Lumos…"

Harry repeated him and soon the walkway was lit up clearly. Immediately the stout figure of a man could be seen some 20 feet away, right in front of the gates. "Who's there?" The young Potter called.

No reply.

"Answer us!" James yelled.

"It's either a wizard or the guy who locks up the gates…" Harry muttered, his face was starting to feel hot with anxiety. _Stay calm_, he lectured himself, even though he felt that something terrible was going to happen.

"Hey, idiot! I said ANSWER US!" James yelled again, he was beginning to lose his patience.

"J-james? Is that y-you?" The man finally stuttered.

James and Harry froze in their tracks as the all too familiar voice reached their ears.

"Peter?" James whispered, whipping his wand upwards so that the short man was bathed in the light. Sure enough, he could make out the pointed face and watery eyes.

"James…don't…DON'T!" Harry yelled as his father made a mad dash towards Wormtail. He was just about to run after him when something heavy collided into him, and then in the next second he was being held up by his neck, his entire body off the ground.

"YOU FUCKING TRAITOR, I'LL KILL YOU! YOU GOT LILY KILLED!" James bellowed in fury, completely ignoring his son, and unaware of what was going on behind him. He was about an arms stretch away from his old friend when a curse suddenly came out of no where and slammed into his side. He flew to his right and skidded to a halt beside a tombstone.

He looked up in confusion and saw dark shadows starting to emerge from the darkness. "Oh god, it's a trap…" He croaked, his eyes wide with horror, his anger with Wormtail momentarily forgotten. They were surrounded; there were at least five of them. _Oh man we are in BIG trouble…_

"JAMES!" Harry screamed as he began to choke.

James immediately whipped his head around where the scream had come from and saw Harry being held up by his neck, his toes hardly brushing the gravel. His fatherly instincts kicked into overdrive and he leapt to his feet, ignoring the pain in his side as he sprinted to Harry's aid.

Harry felt himself fall out of the choke grip when his father plowed into the burly death eater. "Thanks…" He gasped as James stunned the masked man.

"No problem, man Harry this isn't good…" James replied as the death eaters began to close in on them.

"I know…" Harry said through clenched teeth, raising his wand. "We need to hold them off and get to the gates…"

"There's too many."

"We need to try!" Harry growled back, sending a handful of stunners and jinxes at the death eaters.

James followed suit.

Several minutes later, there were no closer to the gates and were sweating with exhaustion. In fact, they were in a much worse spot because they had gotten separated during the fighting.

"Give up, it is useless to fight!" One of the death eaters shouted gleefully as he effectively hit Harry with the cruciatus curse.

Harry fell instantly and writhed with pain on the ground. Once it was over he lay there panting, knowing full well that he needed to get up. He turned his head and saw his dad gallantly taking on two death eaters at a time. He squinted his eyes and spied the gates not too far behind his father. _He could make it…if he runs he might be able to get out of here…_

Springing to his feet, Harry effectively brought down the death eater in front of him and shot a jinx at one of the men that was fighting his father. "JAMES RUN! RUN!" He yelled frantically as another, very large death eater collided into him and they bought fell to the ground hard.

James looked past the man he was fighting and looked at his son incredulously. "I'm not leaving you!" He hollered back angrily.

"YOU PROMISED, NOW GET OUT OF HERE!" Harry screamed back as he wrestled with the man on the snow sprinkled grass, wands forgotten beside them. The man punched him hard in the jaw, causing him to almost lose his glasses. He let out a grunt and managed to deliver a well placed kick in the chest, temporarily stunning the man and allowing himself to scramble to his feet, grabbing his wand in the process.

He looked down and saw a glimmer of gold against the snow. _Oh god, the gallon! How could I have forgotten? _He thought to himself, lunging for the fake piece of money and tapping it with his wand twice. It glowed red and melted the snow around it. _Please hurry guys, we need help! _

James meanwhile, was having trouble deciding what to do. He didn't want to leave Harry, but in the same instant he didn't want his son furious at him for lying about his promise. His lack of concentration cost him dearly, and in the next second he was sent flying through the air as a curse hit him in the back.

"NO!" Harry screamed as he watched his father hurtle through the air and land in a crumpled heap.

"James! James, are you alright?" He called anxiously, bulldozing through a death eater, who had just recovered from a stunner, as he rushed towards his dad.

"Mmmm…damn that hurt…" James mumbled as he rubbed his head and sat up, shivering as the cold came into contact with his skin. His cloak at been practically shredded in the blast. "I'm fine Harry, just a little dazed…" He said as he shivered.

Harry's relief was short lived, for a death eater had snuck up behind him and clubbed him over his head with something hard. Stars popped in front of his eyes as he dropped to his knees. The man took advantage of this and grabbed his arms, twisting them behind his back painfully.

The green eyed boy struggled desperately but to no avail. The man was too strong and his wand lay discarded on the ground, he had dropped it when he had been hit. He wasn't going anywhere unless this guy let him. _Shit…_

"T-the dark l-lord requests the p-presence of both of y-you." Wormtail stuttered nervously as he walked up to Harry, a taller man behind him.

"Well we don't accept his invitation." Harry replied savagely, blood trickling down his face. He looked past the ratty man and saw that his father had been forced to his feet, his wand in the hands of his captor.

James looked at Harry anxiously as he was forced to walk towards the group. He and the two men that held him came to halt beside the other 5 death eaters and Harry. He noted satisfied, that one of them men was bleeding quite badly and three others looked worse for wear. He and Harry sure had done a number on them.

"You don't really have a voice in the matter, Potter." A smooth voice came from behind Wormtail. It was the death eater that had sent James hurtling through the air, and now that Harry heard him speak, he recognized the voice…it was Lucius Malfoy.

Malfoy shoved Wormtail to the side and glowered down at the young man.

"Screw you." Harry growled, his eyes narrowed.

"Someone needs to teach you some manners…" Malfoy growled, "Perhaps a small dose of what's to come will put you in line…CRUCIO!"

The curse hit Harry hard, and he convulsed in the arms of his captor. The effects of the curse were even worse when you couldn't move freely. He felt himself gasping for air…the pain was so intense he couldn't breath…The pain suddenly stopped and Harry found himself breathing in bucketfuls of icy cold air…It was short lived however, for Malfoy hit him with the curse again.

James felt himself shaking with fury as he watched his son being tortured. The screaming was more than he could bear… "STOP IT!" He finally yelled, his anger fueling him with enough adrenaline to rip free of his captors and lunged at Malfoy, he new full well who it was…even after 17 years he still recognized that voice.

Harry felt himself being released from the curse again and looked up just in time to see his dad tackle Malfoy to the ground. He watched in horror as his dad was brought down, his injuries and lack of a wand putting him at a severe disadvantage.

Malfoy delivered a hard punch to James's face, and Harry winced as he dad's head snapped to the side with the force.

"No stop, please…torture me all you want…just stop hurting him…" Harry called weakly, unable to stand the fact that his father was being hurt because of him.

Panting, Malfoy rolled off of James and brushed the dirty snow off of his robes.

"I'll get you Malfoy…I swear I will…" James croaked as he was once again hauled to his feet, this time by two of the bigger cloaked men.

"That was a mistake, Potter…a big mistake." Malfoy said back smoothly, effectively bringing up his wand and hitting not James, but Harry with the cruciatus again. "Watch as I torture your son Potter, watch as I do it because you pissed me off." He laughed.

"NO! Please…leave him alone!" James cried, struggling weakly as he tried to get towards his son.

Even through the blinding pain, Harry could see the foggy shape of his dad trying once again, to get at Malfoy. "D-dad…don't…they'll h-hurt you more…" Harry gasped before screaming as another wave of intense pain washed over him. Soon, he could see the stars in his line of vision, and in the next few seconds, darkness crept along the edges of his brain before he finally lost consciousness.

James froze as he watched his son fall limp under the curse. _He called me dad…oh god… _"STOP! Please…don't…"He finally cried, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks.

Malfoy grinned from behind the mask and turned his wand on James. The last thing he remembered was the death eater yelling a stunning curse at him before he fell limp.

Wormtail looked at the two unconscious Potters nervously. He had hid during the battle, he was completely terrified of James…if he ever got loose…well he would probably rip him limb from limb…

"Let's go." Malfoy calmly ordered the group, as of none of what had happened had ever occurred.

The group immediately headed towards the gates, dragging the two unconscious men with them.

Once the party of nine was outside the graveyard, they apparated without a word. The blood on the snow, the galleon and the destroyed cup of Helga Hufflepuff the only evidence that they had even been there.

If they had of stalled for only a few seconds, they would have felt the full fury of 6 Order of the Phoenix members, who had burst into the cemetary mere seconds later.

**TBC**

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If you didn't figure it out, Wormtail's vital part of the plan was to distract James…so that the others could surprise attack them.

I apologize for the fact that I Haven't updated in a while…I was suffering from some baddd writer's block…I hope this chapter made up for the wait…

As always…let me know what you think!

Ashley ¤


	12. Burning Galleons

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it.**_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: Hey…remember me? (Peeks out from behind a corner) I know…I knowwwww I haven't updated in over a month! (Ducks tomato that comes flying towards head) I'm sorry! (Blinks innocently) I swear it's this insufferable computer! The keyboard sticks and it drives me insane (Smash's keyboard across desk) Will you all ever forgive me? (Gives a puppy dog face…) _

_My birthday is next Tuesday, and I might be getting a laptop…not really sure though…hopefully I do so I can update much faster than my usual speed…sigh…well If I don't I promise to try better…especially now that we're getting into the good stuff! ; ) _

_On with the chapter!

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**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 11- Burning Galleons **

**_A Muggle Town (Before Harry activated the Galleon) _**

Ron and Hermione watched the movie in the muggle theatre quietly. Dinner had gone relatively well; Hermione had only had to yell at Ron one single time for stuffing way too much food in his mouth at once, and attempting to talk at the same time.

She glanced at Ron, and grinned at his face. Even through the darkness she could tell how interested he was in the picture. She had insisted upon Superman Returns, and Ron had grumbled all the way through the previews about how she probably thought the lead actor was 'good looking.'

Ron noticed Hermione looking at him and shot a playful glare at her. "You know, my arm still hurts." He said, referring to when Hermione had punched him earlier…because he wouldn't shut up about her movie selection.

"SHHHHHH!"

Grumbling, Ron shot a glare at the people behind him. _What's so interesting about watching a man flying around in spandex anyways?_ He thought, although he would never admit that he was interested in what would happen. No way in hell would he let Hermione know that he actually liked the movie she had picked.

Settling back into the seat, Ron tried to ignore the throbbing in his arm, and watch the movie. He was trying hard not to seem interested in it, but rather disgruntled that he was being forced to watch it.

After about 20 minutes, Ron felt the sensation of popcorn being thrown at the back of his head. He tried to ignore it, he really did. But the combination of his worry for Harry, his sore arm, and the fact that he was trying to seem uninterested in a movie that he was in fact, interested in, caused his patience to teeter dangerously.

Hermione turned to him questionably, noticing immediately that his ears had turned an unnatural red. "Uh Ron? You okay?" She asked, a little louder than intended.

Her tone received another bout of "SHHHHHH'S" from the patrons around them.

Ron's patience fell over the edge as the people around him told them to be quiet, and the kid behind him continued to toss the popcorn at him. _Is the kid actually giggling at me?_ He thought incredulously.

"HEY!" He said loudly, turning around fully in his seat, only to be the target of another flying kernel which bounced off of his forehead.

"Ron…" Hermione hissed beside the red head.

"_Stop_ throwing popcorn at me!" Ron growled angrily at the muggle boy, who couldn't be older than 9.

"Do not talk to my son in that tone!" The woman beside the boy admonished.

"Make him stop throwing that junk at my head then!" Ron exclaimed stubbornly.

"Would you SHUT UP?" Someone yelled from Ron's right.

"Yeah, some of us are tying to watch a movie here!" Another person spoke up.

Ron felt his face burn as the muggles continued to yell at him to shut up. He quickly got to his feet, which earned even louder complaints from the people who could no longer see the screen.

"_Ron_, sit down!" Hermione growled, completely embarrassed.

"IT'S JUST A BLOODY MOVIE!" Ron said loudly, completely ignoring Hermione, who was attempting to pull him back into his seat.

The theatre went silent after the red heads outburst, and Hermione was finally able to pull her boyfriend back into his seat. "What are you doing! You are an auror for the Order of the Phoenix, not a 10 year old!" She growled under her breath, glaring at him.

"That kid was throwing stuff at me…" He muttered back.

Before Hermione could reply, someone in the aisle was pointing a flashlight in their faces, and attempting to signal to them to follow him out of the theatre.

Ron looked at Hermione sheepishly as they made there way out of the theatre, she was shooting a look at him that could kill. As soon as they were in the lobby, the employee told them politely that they would have to leave, for they were disturbing the other viewers.

Ron immediately argued back, his temper flaring again, "I wouldn't have been so loud if that kid would have just stopped throwing food at me!"

"Ron just shut up!" Hermione snapped, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

But Ron couldn't be swayed, he continued to agrue with the man stubbornly.

"I'm sorry sir, but you are going to have to leave." The man said loudly, he too was beginning to lose his patience.

Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and started to drag him to the exit whilst people watched curiously.

"But--" Ron began in his last line of defense, "I-I wanted to see the bloody end!"

Hermione, who by this time had managed to drag him out into the snowy street, had promptly turned around to give him an earful. After hearing his exclamation however, she couldn't hold the giggle that escaped her lips.

"What's so funny?" Ron asked irritably as they walked down the sidewalk.

"I thought you didn't like the movie?" Hermione smirked, her anger and embarrassment forgotten.

"Uh well. I just…ahhh…" Ron said awkwardly, his anger subsiding.

Hermione just shook her head and sighed. "Well I guess we could head back now, it is getting pretty late." She determined.

"Right." Ron replied, plainly relieved that Hermione was not going to yell at him.

The two continued to walk down the road, looking for a small alleyway that they would be safe apparating in.

"Right there." Hermione suddenly said, pointing up the road a bit.

Ron nodded, but stopped very suddenly and cursed in pain.

Hermione looked at him curiously as he danced on the spot, fumbling around in his jacket pocket. "Uh Ron what're you--" She began, but her voice caught in her throat when she watched him fling a piece of gold onto the ground.

It melted the snow where it had landed.

"Oh my god!" Hermione gasped.

It was the galleon.

Ron looked at her, his face white.

"Harry!" They both whispered, horrified. The two simultaneously ran for the alley, leaving the galleon lying in the snow.

"Wait!" Hermione gasped, "Go to headquarters first…if Harry and James need help than we should get Lupin and Tonks at least. Those two wouldn't call for help unless they were desperate."

Knowing that there was no time to argue, Ron nodded and apparated to Grimmuald Place immediately, Hermione following only seconds later.

_**Grimmuald Place **_

Remus let out a small sigh of satisfaction as he eased into the sofa, enjoying the softness of it. He smiled at Tonks, who had sat down beside him and put her head on his shoulder.

"It's nice just being able to relax like this…" Tonks said softly, staring at the fire.

"I wholeheartedly agree…" Remus replied back. _Nice change from stopping death eater attacks and trying to get more werewolves' to join our cause_…he mused.

"We hardly ever get to see each other…I can't wait for this war to be over." Tonks added, a dreamy look grazing her face as she thought about the future.

Remus nodded in agreement, although he was slightly scared about what the future would hold. How many more people would die before peace was restored? Would he be able to handle having a…girlfriend? The very thought before Tonks would have been laughable…he had always assumed that he would be single forever because of his condition…but now he wasn't so sure.

_That is, if we even both make it through this war…_He thought darkly.

Suddenly, yelling could be heard from the kitchen. Tonks looked at him before sighing as she hauled herself to her feet. "What is going on in there?" She grumbled as Remus followed behind her.

The two made their way into the kitchen, growing more and more concerned at the panicked yelling they could hear.

"Is everything alright in here?" Remus asked as he swung the door open to reveal Hermione, Ron, Arthur and Charlie.

"We need to get to Harry and James _now_!" Hermione said desperately as she turned to Remus, a panicked expression on her face.

"The galleon burned professor, they called for help." Ron added quickly, he was fidgeting on the spot, clearly anxious to get going.

"The galleon burned? What are you talking about Ron?" Arthur asked, plainly confused and frustrated.

"There isn't any time…_hurry!_" Hermione moaned impatiently, grabbing Tonks as she made her way into the front hall.

"Everybody apparate to the cemetery of Godric's Hollow, and prepare for a fight." Remus said as he determined what was happening.

Looking utterly bewildered, the two older Weasley's followed the group out of the house, neither of them bothering to awaken Ginny or Molly…there simply wasn't time.

"Harry and James are in some sort of trouble, they called Hermione and Ron for help." Tonks feebly explained to Bill and Arthur before she apparated.

Charlie glanced over at his dad, his expression a worried one, before following suit.

_**The Cemetery **_

Six tiny pops were heard simultaneously as the wizards and witches appeared in front of the wrought iron gates, which led into the graveyard.

The group looked around anxiously, all of them with their wands raised in anticipation.

"The gate is open." Hermione stated the obvious, her eyes wide. The gate was moving slightly with the cool breeze, causing it to squeak.

Charlie cautiously walked forward and entered the non-apparation zone, muttering "lumos!" as he went. "Harry? Mr. Potter?" He called out, forgetting that James hated how he referred to him by his last name.

"Harry?" Hermione called, her eyes roaming the ground for some sort of life.

"Over here! There's blood!" Ron suddenly shouted, his face pale with fear. His heart was thudding against his chest uncomfortably, making him slightly nauseous.

The group surveyed the blood gravely, glancing at each other with uneasy looks.

"I have something over here…" Tonks said softly.

Turning away from the blood speckled snow, the five observed what Tonks had found.

A broken cup.

"The horcruxe…" Hermione whispered, dropping to her knees and gathering the pieces of gold into her arms.

"I…I found the galleon too." Ron croaked, waving the bit of gold over his head as he made his way closer to Hermione.

The group huddled together and used their wands to survey the damage. There had obviously been a fight, most of the damage, blood and disturbed snow was in the area of the entrance gates.

"They tried to make it to the apparation point…but they couldn't. It looks…it looks like they were ambushed." Remus said slowly, his light eyes observing the shattered tombstones.

"We were too late." Ron said bluntly, his voice cracking.

Everyone shivered beneath their cloaks, but it was not because of the chilly wind.

"I think that we should go back to headquarters…there is nothing more that we can do here…I'll…I'll get into contact with Minivera right away." Arthur spoke up after a few moments of silence.

No one said a word, but they silently followed Arthur back outside of the makeshift battleground and apparated back to Grimmuald Place, Charlie lingering for only a few minutes to relock the gates.

_**Grimmuald Place **_

Everyone sat around the table silently. It had been exactly one hour since the horrible discovery at the cemetery. The headmistress and the Minister for Magic were currently at the scene, attempting to collect any evidence. There were low hopes that any traces of where the death eaters could be hiding the Potters would be found, but Minivera had insisted upon it.

Molly was in a right mess when she had realized what had happened and now currently sat at the table; shaking so badly that the old table rattled.

Ron clutched his butterbeer so hard that his knuckles had turned white, but he didn't seem to notice nor care. His eyes were wide and red rimmed, his hair disheveled from running his hands through it.

Ginny was stroking her mothers arm in a comforting fashion, but she herself was gazing off at nothing, her mind kept wandering back to Harry and his dad. _Please be alright…both of them…please…_She thought sadly.

Hermione was staring at Ron from across the table, trying very hard to be strong for everyone else. The guilt however, was obvious in her eyes…especially to Ron. _We should have been there…we should have been there…_

Remus, however, seemed to be taking it the hardest of them all. To have lost his remaining best friend twice, not to mention his former student and someone he also considered to be close with had finally taken its toll. The moment they had gotten back to headquarters, he had gone upstairs and locked himself in the attic.

Tonks had attempted to talk to him, but had returned to the kitchen with a defeated look on her face. Her hair had turned back to mousy brown.

"It's very late…maybe-maybe we should all get some sleep." Charlie suggested from the counter.

No one made a move to leave, and simply gave him a look that plainly stated "Yeah right…"

A small portion of the group was painfully reminded of the time that they had sat at this table a mere two years before, waiting anxiously for any word on Arthur. Though instead of Charlie suggesting that they get some sleep, it had been Sirius.

Remus suddenly slid back into the room and sat down heavily.

Tonks immediately moved to his side and put an arm around his shoulders; he gave no response to her gesture and merely stared straight ahead into nothingness.

"There's hope…Remus…there's always hope…" She whispered.

Remus tried to reply, but all that came out was a strangled noise before he dropped his head into his hands.

Suddenly, the kitchen door swung open again and an assortment of people walked in.

Fred and George looked at the somber faces around the kitchen table and sighed sadly. Bill and Arthur followed closely behind. The father had gone to let those closest to Harry and James know what had happened.

Ginny immediately rose from her seat and ran to Bill, wrapping her arms around him. "He got them…he got them…" She sobbed into his shirt quietly, unable to keep the tears back anymore. "What if I never see them again? What if I don't see Harry again…?"

"Hush Gin, we'll get them back…we will!" Bill replied calmly to his distraught sister, gently steering her towards a chair.

Behind the four Weaselys, Hagrid entered the room, stooping slightly so that he didn't hit the door frame.

"Hagrid!" Ron and Hermione both cried in at the same time.

"'Ermione…Ron…" He said in a choked voice as the two rushed towards him. He pulled the two into a bone cracking hug before releasing them hesitantly.

"We'll get 'em back…" The half giant growled, his eyes sparkling with tears and anger.

The two smiled at him weakly, immediately noting the swollen eyes and puffy red cheeks, he had obviously been crying. Clearly he had tried to compose himself before facing everyone.

"Harry's a fighter if I ever knew one…just like his dad." Hagrid continued, before turning towards Remus. He clapped a hand over the wizards shoulder, causing the man to nearly fall off of his chair from the force.

"Don't worry Remus, yer know that both of 'em are strong, we'll see 'em again." He said in a comforting tone, although his voice shook slightly.

Remus again, said nothing, but did manage a nod to acknowledge the fact that he heard what Hagrid had said.

The now extended group continued to sit in silence, many hours had finally passed, and dawn had begun to shine through the feeble kitchen window. Ginny and Ron had both fallen into a light doze at the table, with Molly and Arthur well on their way.

Everyone else remained in a daze; every time their head nodded they would jerk upwards and look around anxiously before resuming their gaze into nothingness.

_I wonder what Harry and James are doing right now? Are they being tortured? Are the unconscious?_ Remus thought to himself with a shudder.

Ginny murmured restlessly in her sleep, but did not awake.

Hermione still clutched Ron's hand tightly, even though he was sleeping. _We should have been there_…She continued to think to herself guiltily…_We should have been there_…

Soon, the sun had nearly fully risen from the horizon, and most of the group had given up the fight to stay awake.

Only Hermione and Remus were somewhat coherent when Minivera entered the room at half past eight.

The older witch looked at the group sadly, not wanting to wake them up, but knowing that they would be furious with her if she postponed giving them any information. So instead, she cleared her throat loudly and patiently waited for all of them to awaken.

It didn't take long, as soon as everyone realized who had entered the room; they all shot up from their slumped positions and looked at her with rapt attention.

_If only some of my classes had been so attentive…_She could help but think fleetingly.

Remus was the first to find his voice. "Do you find anything out?" He asked anxiously, his voice slightly rough.

Minivera sighed at the hopeful expressions and said softly, "I'm sorry; we found nothing at the sight that would suggest where they were taken."

Every face in the room fell at this news.

"We collected all the evidence we could, and cleaned up the sight so that no muggles will realize what happened. The media has not yet been informed, but the Minister will be holding a conference to announce that the two are missing."

"Why? Shouldn't we keep the disappearances a secret?" Charlie asked, a little sharper than intended.

"Yeah, people will freak if they know Harry is missing…I mean, not very many people know of the prophecy but people are still calling him their last hope…" Fred added.

"Because it is going to leak eventually, and it will be better if the public is informed by the Minister himself, instead of hearing whispers and rumors on the streets."

"And then the public and Ministry officials can keep an eye out for anything suspicious…the public knowing may be a way in which we can locate Harry and James." Hermione added thoughtfully.

"I couldn't have said it better myself." The headmistress said with a nod.

"So what are _we_ going to do? I for one can't just sit here and wait for something to happen!" Ron exclaimed.

"I will speak to the portrait of Albus; perhaps he can offer some insight." Minivera replied calmly.

"I'm going to leave for the Ministry at once, and speak to Kingsely, he'll get the aurors who are not members of the Order to help us locate where You-Know-Who is hiding." Arthur said.

"I'll come with you and hopefully we'll run into Mad Eye, he's the best tracker they ever had…" Bill added.

"I am going to contact more werewolves, perhaps I can find one that is in league with Voldemort, and get him to tell us where he's hiding." Remus suddenly spoke in a determined voice.

Tonks looked at him worriedly, knowing that what he was going to do was very dangerous, not to mention that she wouldn't see him for weeks at a time. She didn't voice her concern though, knowing that she would never be able to change his mind, not that she really wanted to. _This is really important…I can sacrifice months without him if it means he can find Harry and James and bring them home…_She thought.

"Ron and I will to up to the library…Sirius may have been on the good side but the rest of his family certainly wasn't…maybe his brother left some documents or books behind on where Voldemort hid the last time he was in power." Hermione said.

Ron didn't argue with her, he wanted to help in any way he could…and he needed desperately to get the images of Harry and James being tortured by the evil wizard out of his mind. Besides, she could be right.

"Fred and I will go snooping around Diagon Alley; maybe a death eater will get stupid and start bragging about how the two were captured over a few drinks." George suggested while his twin nodded.

Their mother looked terrified at the very thought but didn't argue with them, she did however, clutch Ginny tighter.

Almost everyone in the group stood up, intending to get going right away.

Ginny struggled out of her mothers grasp and went over to Ron and Hermione. "I want to help you guys." She said in a determined voice, no way would she just sit and wait.

Hermione nodded, "Of course."

As everyone left to either clean themselves up, attempt to take a nap, eat something or get straight to work, they all found themselves thinking the same thing;

_I hope we find them before it's too late…_

**TBC

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**_(Runs from furious readers who wanted James and Harry action….) _**

_Please drop a review by me…as a birthday present? Heh heh…sorry I know that their wasn't any Harry and James…but I wanted to get this chapter out because we won't be seeing very much of these guys while I focus on the Harry and James stuff…as you know they are the focal part of this story! The good stuff is coming! Promise!_

_**A QUESTION FOR ALL OF YOU:**_

_I have a question for all of my faithful readers! Who would you like to see on the light side…Draco Malfoy or Severus Snape? Or…possibly both or neither? Let me know…it may determine what happens (wink wink)…_


	13. And So We Meet Again

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it.**_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: Hey everyone! Well I didn't get the laptop for my birthday, but my parents did buy an entire new computer system for the family, so now my computer is super fast…and I got a new keyboard heh heh! My parents did give me 1700$ for school though, and I think that's much better ; ). They said that if I still really want one, they will help me buy one before September of next year…_

_I got lots of reviews last chapter, and I was so excited, thank you all so much! I've also made my decision concerning Malfoy and Snape, although it won't be known yet…when it is I hope everyone continues to read regardless of my choice! _

_On with the chapter!

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**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 11- And So We Meet Again **

Harry let out a low moan as he began to regain consciousness. _What happened?_ He thought to himself groggily, as he attempted to open his eyes. His body did not want to co-operate with him though, and he remained on the ground, with his eyes shut.

"Harry?" A hoarse voice called out, but Harry did not reply, ignoring the anxious voice that called his name.

The ground felt cool and hard beneath his skin, and he realized that he was sprawled out on his side, with his cheek against the ground. His glasses were pushing uncomfortably into his skin.

A hand was gently squeezing his shoulder, and the voice called out his name again. He tried to bat the hand away, for it was hurting his shoulder greatly, but his hand would not move save a few inches from the ground.

Letting out another moan, he forced himself to think back on the last thing that he remembered. He had been with his dad, getting the last horcruxe…there had been an ambush, and pain…a lot of pain.

Harry gasped as the memories suddenly came rushing back to him. "Dad!" He exclaimed, immediately trying to sit up, his eyes snapping open.

"Harry, stop! Lay back down, I'm right here." The voice called out.

The young man allowed himself to be gently pushed back to the ground, and he rolled his eyes to the side to look at his companion. "Dad?" He mumbled, it was hard to see through the gloom.

"Yeah, it's me Harry. Just lay still for a minute ok? You've been unconscious for hours…I think two days almost. I was really worried…" James replied, his voice cracking slightly.

"I'm okay dad, don't worry 'bout me." Harry replied, hoping that some of the strength in his voice had returned.

"I thought Malfoy's cruciatus had been too strong…I thought you had lost you're mind…All you did was moan, you hardly even moved." James continued.

"I'm okay…just a little stiff, sorry for worrying you." Harry mumbled, "Now help me sit up…where are we anyways?"

"We're in some sort of prison holding." James said as he helped his son lean up against a wall, hesitating slightly when Harry winced.

Harry caught the hesitation. "I'm _fine_; muscles are just a bit stiff."

James nodded and sat back, relief was plainly written on his face.

Surveying his father carefully, Harry immediately noticed how pale James' face was, and a dark bruise was clear on his cheek.

"It doesn't hurt that bad, just throbs a little." James shrugged.

Once satisfied that his dad had no serious injuries, Harry looked around their surroundings. They were in a cell; thick bars surrounded the entire perimeter. More cells were lined up against the walls, but theirs seemed to be the only one occupied.

There was a narrow hallway in front of them, and a door at the very end. A single torch by the door served as the only source of light.

"Weird that they put us in the same cell, don't you think?" Harry said, slightly curious.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing."

Harry suddenly found himself shivering. "It's cold…"

"Yeah, we must be really deep underground; there isn't any windows…and it feels a little moist, and yes…cold." James sighed.

"So, how long have you been up?" Harry asked, trying to keep his mind off of the fact that he was freezing. Both of their cloaks and robes had been stripped from them, so that both of them wore no more than a pair of jeans and sweater. In his case, he wore a thin undershirt as well, and even though he provided no warmth…he was grateful for it.

"Well, there really isn't any way to tell exactly…but I think I've been up for about 17 hours or so…A death eater came in not to long ago and shoved a food tray in. He mumbled something about how we could last longer than two days without food so I'm guessing that that's how long we've been here for." James explained.

Harry glanced at the food tray; it remained untouched by the cell door. "You didn't eat any of it." He couldn't help but state.

James shrugged, "I was waiting for you to wake up first."

Harry shook his head and smiled slightly. He was feeling a little better, and his eyes were now back in focus.

James got up slowly and made his way over to the tray, bringing it back and setting it carefully between the two of them.

There wasn't much, two goblets of lukewarm water, two pieces of bread and a thin slice of cheese between the two of them.

Harry carefully divided up the cheese and they ate slowly, ignoring the stale taste the bread held.

After they had eaten, the two began to think about the serious situation that they had gotten themselves into.

"He is going to use us against each other. He knows that we both know what the prophecy is. We can't give it to him no matter what he does to either of us." Harry sighed.

James nodded in agreement, knowing how hard it was going to be not to crack.

"Do you know occulmency?" Harry suddenly asked anxiously.

"Yeah, was a requirement to master it before becoming an auror…I was pretty good at it too."

"Good, because Voldemort is probably going to try and get it out of us that way first."

"_You_ know how to do it too?" James asked incredulously.

"Snape tried to teach me, but I just couldn't learn it from him…so I practiced every day last year and the year before with Hermione and some of the aurors that were on my guard…I guess I just needed the right teacher." Harry explained, his face shadowing with hatred at the very mention of Snape's name.

James chose not to say anything about Snape, and simply looked at his son in amazement. "You get you're smarts from Lily, the only accomplishment I had at you're age…was that I was able to become an angimus." He joked lightly.

Harry grinned and said, "That is a pretty big accomplishment you know, even if it was illegal."

"Yeah, took a lot of work though." James said, a pained expression coming across his face as he remembered the countless hours of painful transformations that didn't quite work out.

Harry laughed a little at his fathers face, but stopped when he remembered where they were. _So, how do you plan on getting out of this one Harry? _He asked himself mentally.

"All we can do is hang in there, and hopefully the Order will find us…" James said, as if he had read Harry's mind.

"We have to always be looking for a way to escape…and take any opportunity that presents itself. We have nothing to lose…Voldemort won't kill us until he gets that prophecy…so if we are caught, well, all we can expect is one hell of a punishment." Harry said seriously.

James nodded in agreement. "I wonder if he realizes that there are others that know of the prophecy."

"Well he knows for certain that you know, I mean, you're my dad and it's the entire reason why we went into hiding. I doubt he's willing to take any risks…one wrong step and his plans could be ruined…We _can't_ let him find out there's others that know about it…" Harry replied, his eyes hardening.

"I won't say a word…" James replied. _I don't care how much that monster tortures me, I won't tell him the prophecy…if he finds out I'll lose Harry…he'll be killed on the spot…_

"I wonder how long we have to wait until Voldemort comes to visit." Harry sighed. _Probably trying to make us squirm and feel anxious…well it won't work, I won't let him intimidate me!_

As if waiting for Harry to speak those very words, the rusted metal door opened with a heavy groan.

Harry and James looked at the door, their bodies tensed in anticipation. Two figures strode through the door and walked swiftly towards the cell door.

Harry glared at the two death eaters, immediately recognizing one of them as Nott. The other was of a smaller build, and had long black hair. He was younger than Nott by at least a few years, and a hard, determined look had settled across his face.

"Well, it would seem that both Potters have finally awoken." Nott said, an ugly sneer gracing his features.

"Our lord has requested an audience with you." The younger man added, his voice was deep and throaty.

The two Potters felt immediate dislike towards younger man, and it wasn't the common dislike that they held for all that called themselves death eaters, it seemed to them that this man would do whatever it took to get into Voldemorts good books.

"And what if we decline the invitation?" Harry let the sarcastic words slip from his mouth. _Probably shouldn't have said that…_

Nott simply smirked at the comment as he opened the cell door. "Would you like the honor, Filven?"

The man named Filven grinned and took three quick steps towards the pair. In one fluid motion he had Harry by the front of his shirt and had slammed him against the wall.

James cried out in protest, but to his dismay he found his arms held behind his back by Nott.

Filven then proceeded to land two powerful punches into Harry's abdomen, before dropping him onto the ground. "_That's_ what happens! Now…on you're feet!" He growled.

_Definitely shouldn't have said that…_ Harry thought with a groan as he painfully brought himself up into a standing position. He gave his father a shaky grin as he was roughly shoved out of the cell. "I'm okay." He said quietly.

"No talking!" Nott hissed angrily.

James opened his mouth to protest, but promptly shut it at the violent shake of Harry's head.

_Don't…_The younger Potter mouthed.

James sighed, but nodded his head. They could always talk later…when they were hauled back to their cell.

The two were lead through many twisting corridors and up many stairs. They each tried to memorize every turn they made.

_Left…right, right, left, up a flight of stairs, left again, more stairs, left, right, through a magic brick wall…six down, three across…have to push it with you're hand… right, left, right…or was that left? _Harry pondered to himself, he soon gave a defeated sigh though, there were just too many turns and secret passageways.

James also seemed to have given up; the heavy frown on his face confirmed it.

Finally, after what had to have been 15 minutes, they found themselves in a rather large room. Torches burned brightly against the walls. They must have traveled up more flights of stairs than Harry had thought, because there were some windows lining the walls.

Darkness could be seen from them. _So it must be nighttime…_James thought.

Both Potters then looked at the single cell that stood in one corner of the room.

To Harry, it reminded him of the tiny prison cells he saw in movies. Two people could not fit into it. He didn't have time to think about why it was there, for he had noticed the large black chair that stood lengthwise from them, in it…sat Voldemort.

The thin, cloaked figure stared at them with his red eyes, his pale skin stretched slightly as he smiled at the duo.

"Leave us, wait by the door." Voldemort rasped to the death eaters, who immediately bowed and hurried from the room, slamming the doors behind them.

"Welcome, both of you, to my current residence, its not as homey as one would like…but it will do for the time being. I trust you find you're rooms comfortable?" Voldemort said sarcastically, stretching his arms out.

The two said nothing to the tasteless joke.

Voldemort rose out of his chair and slowly walked towards the Potters, both of who backed up slightly.

"James Potter in the flesh! I thought that you had been disposed of…ah well, you are much more use to me alive." Voldemort said, his sadistic grin still in place. "You look just as you did that night, however you do seem thinner…perhaps you're body hasn't fully recuperated from your prolonged stay in a coffin…"

"And you, Voldemort…seem to be much paler since we last met. Perhaps you need some more sun? Maybe some contacts? I mean, the red eye thing never did become popular…" James replied coolly.

If the situation hadn't of been so serious, Harry would have busted out laughing right then and there.

Voldemort, unlike Harry, didn't seem to find the comment funny, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "We shall see who is still sarcastically speaking when I'm through with the both of you." He hissed.

With that, he turned to Harry. "Ahh we meet again Mr. Potter. How was the old bats funeral? Sorry that I missed it…seems that I wasn't invited…"

A low growl escaped from Harry's throat, his hands tightening into white knuckled fists.

"It really is a pity…I never thought that he could be so easily fooled…no challenge in it at all…" Voldemort continued to egg Harry on.

The young man could take no more, and with an angered yell, he lunged at the evil wizard.

Voldemort knew it was coming, and quickly brought out his wand, hissing something inaudible.

Harry cried out as he was thrown backwards, sliding painfully on his back.

James yelled out and made to snatch the wizard's wand, but didn't even come close. Convulsions wracked his body as he was hit with the cruciatus.

Voldemort released the both of them from the different spells. "You will soon learn to behave." He said, calmly watching as the both of them panted for air. "Now, you will tell me the prophecy."

Harry laughed as he walked shakily back over to his dad. "You won't get it out of us."

Voldemort didn't answer, but pointed his wand at them. Using non-verbal magic, he tied both of them up with thin, strong cords.

Before the two could even react the being bound, Voldemort stood directly before Harry and violently invaded his thoughts.

Harry gasped and fell backwards yet again as Voldemort tore at his mind. _No…no! You won't get it out of me…you…WON'T!_ He thought as he attempted to force the powerful being out of his head. He could feel the frustration emitting from the dark lord. After a few more minutes, Voldemort gave up and released Harry.

"Harry…!" James cried out in concern as his son closed his eyes, obviously out of complete exhaustion. He had time to say no more however, as he too was suddenly assaulted mentally.

James put all of his concentration into pushing Voldemort out of his head. All the while praying that the vigorous training hours he had spent mastering this skill had been worthwhile. His auror training won out, and he felt himself free from Voldemort's mental clutches.

"So, it seems that the both of you have master occulmency. It is disappointing, for I will have to wait slightly longer to pry the prophecy from you…however; there are many other ways to get one to speak…"

Harry had opened his eyes and was now glaring openly at the dark lord as he struggled to regain his footing.

Voldemort muttered something, and with a fluid wave of his wand, the cords around the Potter's feet vanished. Unfortunately, both had their arms still immobilized tightly behind their backs.

"Nott, Felvin!" Voldemort yelled.

The two immediately filed back into the room.

"Take them back and leave them as they were. I have some things to ponder before the real fun begins…from this point on, whenever they are to leave the dungeon, they are to be bound, gagged and blinded until they are in my presence…we shouldn't like for them to try and organize an escape now would we?"

The two shook their heads furtively.

Voldemort then turned back to Harry and James. "Perhaps…yes…perhaps today you will be spared the blindfolds and gags…yes…Stupefy!" He cried.

The last thing that Harry was aware of was Voldemorts cold face and James falling to the floor as the ground rushed up to greet him.

**TBC

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_Sorry if there was any spelling or grammar errors…I'm really tired and may have missed some things…anyways, I hope you all liked the chapter…I myself had higher expectations for it…but I'm also overly critical of my own work._

_Last chapter got 17 reviews :D I was so so so happy! I wonder if I'll ever get that many in one go again…well I guess I'll see!_

_Love you all!_

_Ashley_


	14. Crossed Fingers

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it.**_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: I got this one out quickly for you guys…I hope you enjoy it! Sorry if its too short! Oh…and I was naughty and didn't fully edit this…don't be mad at me! _

_On with the chapter!

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**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 13- Crossed Fingers**

A dark figure stood silhouetted against the window. He was looking out into the dark forest, which stretched out for many miles around his new home. The man sighed and turned away from the black night, instead looking at his gloomy room.

A single torch was held in a bracket, a dingy bed sat in the corner…and a closet with a few garments stood near the dark wooden door. The fire sent shadows across the stony walls of the room…it was not homey at all.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, the man shuddered slightly as he thought about his nightmare…he brought his hands up to his face and shook his head slightly, trying in vain to get the images out his head.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he could still see the old headmaster of Hogwarts being thrown out of the window…could still hear Potters scream of horror from behind him…

Wiping the sweat off of his brow, the man lay back down. His thoughts swirling around in his head, thoughts that he had never dreamed he'd be thinking…thoughts of regret…

_**Meanwhile…**_

Voldemort stood before his most trusted death eater and regarded him quietly.

Lucius Malfoy stood in respective silence. His lord had summoned him here, and was curious as to why. At first, the foreign feeling of fear had flitted through his senses. _Had he damaged the boy permanently with that cruciatus? Had he been summoned for a punishment? _However, the moment he had entered his master's presence, he immediately recognized the smirk on Voldemort's face, and could tell that he was happy.

"I met with our guests a few hours ago." Voldemort finally stated.

"I trust that you found them in good health?" Lucius replied cautiously.

"You have done well, Lucius. The plan is finally in motion." Voldemort hissed, his red eyes bright with excitement.

"What shall you have me do next, milord?"

"The two will be tortured…the boy most of all…a fathers love for his son runs very deep. Potter will be in agony to see his son in such pain…and he _will _crack. I will be very busy in the coming months as I plan our attack to take over Hogwarts, so it will be put in you're hands to see that the prophecy becomes known."

Lucius' eye's widened at the mention of overrunning Hogwarts. "You plan to take the school first?" He asked.

"Yes, it will be a devastating blow to the Order of the Phoenix to see they're precious school taken from them…to see the one thing that muggle loving fool had, destroyed. You are the only one I am trusting my plans with…do not let this become known."

"Of course, milord. The plans are safe with me." Lucius bowed.

"As I said before, you will be in charge of our two captives. I will be gone much as I make plans. Use any methods necessary…but do not kill them or permanently damage them. Even if you get the prophecy…I want to be the one to drain the life out of them…especially out of Harry…" The evil wizard hissed.

Lucius bowed again and asked, "Master, how long do you think it will take for you to overrun Hogwarts?"

Voldemort smiled thinly. "I am the most powerful wizard in the world, it will not take long…I will say no more until I have finalized most of the plans. You are dismissed, Lucius."

The death eater bowed and left the dark chamber swiftly.

"I will have Hogwarts, I will get the prophecy and I will kill the boy, and have this ultimate power it is spoken that he has…all you loved, Dumbledore…everything that you vowed to protect…will be destroyed." Voldemort hissed into the darkness, laughing evilly…an insane gleam in his eye.

_**Elsewhere… **_

Lucius strode swiftly to his room, his body trembling with excitement. The very thought of being in charge of the Potters torture was enough to make him smile stupidly…that is, if he wasn't the trained, stone hard death eater he was.

It was an honor to be in put in charge of the two prisoners…the two prisoners that Voldemort hated above even Dumbledore (Harry in particular).

Finally reaching his quarters, Lucius swung the double doors open and shut them quickly behind him, his cloak nearly getting caught as he did so.

Looking around his room, he couldn't help but smile. He held the best residence out of all the death eaters. The walls were stone of course, but many torches and the large windows kept it brightly lit at all times. His bed was queen sized with thick blankets and a closet full of his finest robes stood near a door which entered into a small bathroom suite.

It was second best only to the dark lords' private chambers…which only he and few others had been permitted to see.

His room was nothing like the one in the mansion he owned, which currently housed only his wife, Narcissa. But ever since the old bats death it had been vital for all who worked for Voldemort to come to this hideaway.

Lucius let a snicker escape his lips as he thought about the Order of the Phoenix trying fruitlessly to find this lair. It was almost the size of Hogwarts; but the spells that had been cast on it made it undetectable…and the dark forest surrounding it helped out a bit too. Only those who had been here would be able to find it.

However, the ironic thing was the fact that it was only a 20 days trek from here to Hogwarts. The Potters haven was so close…yet so far.

Wiping the smirk off of his face, Lucius slipped into his bed and lay thinking about his plans for the Potters. _This will be a perfect way for Draco to prove himself. I can give him the chance to show Voldemort where his loyalties truly lay, and then he will be respected just as much as I. There will be no more brooding in his room, no more secret complaints about how he is used as the dark lord's personal servant…_

With these thoughts in his head, Lucius fell asleep peacefully.

_**The Dungeons…**_

James and Harry sat together in silence; it had not been long ago when they had finally recovered from the stunning spells cast on them.

"We'll get out of this son. I swear we will…" James finally said.

Harry smiled wanly at him. "Don't make promises you can't keep. We don't know what's going to happen." He said, although he didn't say it with an air of defeat.

James shook his head at him. "You know, you're too young to be so calm in a situation like this. Most people would either have given up by now, or tried in vain to break out of here."

"Voldemort doesn't scare me anymore. I don't fear death…just…" Harry began, but didn't finish.

"Just what?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter." Harry said quickly.

James raised an eyebrow. "You must fear something, you aren't invincible. Tell me."

"I…just…I'm afraid to fail…I'm afraid for my friends…for you, that I won't win and everyone will die because of me…" Harry whispered, his head in his hands.

James scooted over closer to his son and put his arm around the young mans shoulder. "Harry, listen to me…you're friends love you…I-I love you…if you don't win it won't matter, we're in this fight together…and if you…if you don't beat him, I'll be there with you…and, and it just won't matter. This burden shouldn't even be yours…if you go down, me and Ron and Hermione…_everyone_ really, we'll all go down with you and be damn proud of it…" He said awkwardly.

Harry smiled at his fathers' awkwardness and looked up at him. "Thanks…" He mumbled, although not thoroughly convinced.

"What are fathers for?" James joked lightly.

Harry smiled and shook his head.

James stretched out, took his glasses off and closed his eyes. "We should get some sleep, it was a rough day." He spoke into the darkness.

"I suppose." Harry sighed, suddenly aware of the headache that was assaulting him.

The two lay by each other quietly. Not 20 minutes had passed by when James felt himself nodding off.

Just as his eyes were about to close, Harry's whispered voice floated towards him.

"Oh…and dad?" He spoke hesitatingly.

"Yeah?" Came the mumbled reply.

"I…I love you too." Harry said into the darkness.

James could almost feel the heat radiating off of his sons cheeks, but he didn't care. It was in that moment that he felt closest to his son, even more so than when he had started to call him dad in the graveyard.

For the first time in days, James Potter fell asleep with a smile on his lips.

_**Grimmuald Place **_

Ron wandered around the gloomy house aimlessly. There had been no word about Harry and James since they're disappearance, and everyone was quite depressed. He himself had hardly slept in the past few days. Hermione, Ginny and he had been holed up in the dusty library, hoping against hope that something would come up.

Nothing had, and they had looked through at least one quarter of the library already.

Dumbledore's portrait had been grieved by the news, but wasn't able to offer any insight. McGonagall told them that it was the first time that the old headmaster had been frustrated about his own death…he wanted to aid in the search, but wasn't able to.

Sighing heavily, Ron re-entered the library. Hermione was asleep in her book, her shoulders rising softly with every breath. Ginny was sitting in a chair near a dark corner, her eyes moving back and forth as she read the huge book in her hand called, **_"Evil Places and Where to Find Them." _**The young women didn't even look up when her brother entered the room. "Don't wake her Ron; I don't think she's slept a wink since they were taken." She spoke softly as she continued to read.

Ron nodded in agreement and sat down heavily opposite of Hermione's sleeping from. He eyed a rather large book in the pile that was stacked neatly by her, and with a look of contempt, drew it towards him. After scanning through the contents, he flipped towards a chapter that looked like it may have something important in it, and began to read tiredly.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Molly and Arthur were speaking with Remus and Mad-Eye.

"I'm leaving tomorrow, if all goes well I'll report back in a week's time." Remus said as he rubbed his itching eyes.

"Be careful Remus, those werewolves are dangerous, there's no telling what You-Know-Who has got them thinking." Arthur warned as he leaned up against the sink.

"Voldemort has corrupted the lot of them, but if I pretend he's got me on his side as well, I may just learn something." Remus replied.

Molly and Arthur flinched at the sound the dark lords' name, and Moody let out a growl.

"Have the aurors found no trace of them?" Molly asked Mad-Eye, her eyes pleading with him for good news.

"None yet… we're working day and night, even obtained permission to search through Lucius Malfoy's place, there hasn't been any sign of him since Azkaban was broken into…I'm headed to that rats mansion now."

"I'll come with you." Arthur said immediately.

"Me too." Molly added, but her husband shook his head,

"No, Molly. You need to stay here and make sure those three don't sneak off."

The mother of seven puffed up indignantly, and was prepared to tell Arthur exactly what she thought of that idea when he added quickly, "We both know that you're the only who can keep Ron and Ginny in check, they'll run off with me here…you're more…threatening I suppose."

Molly immediately calmed down, knowing full well that her husband spoke the truth. With a sigh, she nodded in agreement. I _don't know what I'd do if those three got themselves hurt…_ "Well, at least eat some dinner before you all leave. Ron, Ginny and Hermione didn't eat a bite, insisted that they weren't hungry…obviously they didn't want to stop their search…I don't think any of them have slept…" Molly trailed off, a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"I think something to eat sounds great." Remus replied, choosing to ignore her last comment.

"Well it's about time you got something into that stomach of yours…I don't think you eaten or slept since…well…since it happened." Molly shot back, taking in his appearance with a sharp eye. _I don't think he's ever looked worse…_She thought sadly.

No one else spoke of Harry and James, or of the desperate search that was in procession.

Remus however, couldn't help but stare at the Daily Prophet paper that lay on the kitchen table as he sat down to eat the heaping pile of food Molly had given him. It was currently flipped to the second page:

**STILL NO SIGN OF HARRY OR JAMES POTTER January 5th/2006**

_Harry and James Potter, who were reported missing and likely captured by You-Know-Who four days ago, still have not been heard from. The Ministry for Magic, and the Order of the Phoenix (see article 7 on the Order, lead by Albus Dumbledore before his death), are currently in the middle of conducting a massive search party. Many readers have expressed their feelings since the disappearance, and most believe that the efforts are fruitless. Others have called in with sightings, all of which were looked into with no results. The Minister for Magic meanwhile, has had his hands full…_

Remus thrust the paper across the table, unable to read anymore. His eyes burned with tears of worry, exhaustion and frustration. _You guys have to hold on…I can't lose my best friend again…_

_**Next Day, Voldemort's Lair **_

Harry massaged his temples as he leaned up uncomfortably against the wall. He had woken to another headache, obviously an after effect from the day before, when Voldemort had been so kind as to rip through his thoughts.

James sat beside, also nursing a headache. "Let's hope he doesn't try it again…" He muttered more to himself than Harry.

The younger Potter looked at him grimly but said nothing in return. He knew very well that things would only get worse from here.

"Think he's going to leave us waiting for long? I'm sure he's anxious to have another go with us." James continued to speak sarcastically.

Harry sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "There's not much we can do right now but wait…" He mumbled, still rubbing his temples.

James snorted at this comment. His patience and worry were on thin ice at the moment, and he could feel himself slipping back into the irresponsible teen he had been at Hogwarts. _How are we going to escape…we don't even know where we are! _He yelled at himself, but kept his mouth shut for his sons' sake. He was a father now after all, and he needed to stay strong and calm for Harry.

_Not like he needs calming…he's been through worse than me…and he's not even 18 yet!_

"This is when I need Lily…" He whispered to himself as his headache intensified.

"What was that?" Harry asked, his green eyes staring at James inquisitively.

"What? Oh, nothing…" James said, startled.

Harry frowned but did not press the man, choosing instead to gaze at nothing.

Suddenly, the door opened, sending more light into the room. Both Potters squinted as they tried to adjust to the brightness.

A death eater entered the room, but they wore their hood far over their face.

"What? To afraid to show you're face?" Harry couldn't help but let the words slip from his mouth.

James shot his son a warning glance, not wanting him to get himself in more trouble.

The death eater however, did not reply to Harry's remark. He did tremble slightly, as if he was resisting the urge to yell something back.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the odd behavior, but did not have a chance to say anything.

The cloaked figure used magic to conjure up a tray of food for them and left the dungeon swiftly, without a word.

It took a few minutes for the two to readjust they're eyes to the darkness again.

"That was weird." Harry stated, "Every death eater I've met had a big mouth…if that had of been Crabbe or Avery…I'd be writhing on the ground right now."

"Just consider yourself lucky and keep you're mouth shut before you get hurt." James said, a little sharply.

Raising an eyebrow, Harry shot back, "I can take care of myself."

"You're hardly an adult."

"I had to grow up real fast." Harry growled, he was not use to people telling him what to do. Dumbledore had pretty much been the only one who he had listened to.

James flinched guiltily at the remark, but held steady. "I'm you're father, please trust me…I don't want either of us getting killed."

Harry turned towards James slowly at this comment. "You promised me that'd you run. If you had of kept that promise you wouldn't be here with me. You lied to me." He stated, finally saying what had been bothering him from the moment he had woken up here. It had been pushed to the back of his mind before now.

"I couldn't leave you like that…" James started, but Harry cut him off.

"You should've ran, I can handle Voldemort on my own."

"I wasn't going to let you go again…I already lost you're mum to that monster…I wasn't going to lose you too." James whispered, his voice shaking at the thought of his late wife. _She died because of me; I should've stayed with her!_

Harry's stomach churned uncomfortably at this statement. He himself suffered through the guilt of Sirius' death, and Cedric's. They weren't at his hand but he felt responsible all the same. _I promised myself that I'd protect everyone else no matter what happened to me…dad must've done the same when he woke up…_

James noticed the guilty look on his sons face. "Let's not argue about this anymore okay? It isn't going to help us here." He said quickly, pushing his own guilty thoughts out of his head,

Harry nodded in agreement.

"But…" James suddenly said after a moment's silence.

"But what...?"

"I didn't actually promise you…" He said, a mischievous gleam in his eye, one identical to George and Fred's after a prank.

"Yeah you did I hea-"

"I didn't!" James interrupted, "I crossed my fingers." As if to prove this, he held up his hand with middle and index finger crossed.

Harry couldn't help the smile that made its way to his face as his father waved his hand in front of his nose.

"That's a muggle thing, where'd you learn it?"

"Your mum taught me what it meant in seventh year…she was always doing it to me…" James answered, a slight frown gracing his features.

Harry laughed, and pulled over the forgotten tray of food. "I'm starving…we should probably eat while we can."

James nodded and the two once again divided up the food and ate the share they had.

They had hardly finished the door swung open again. This time Nott entered the room and strode over to the cell.

Harry and James both stood up and glared defiantly at the man.

"Now the _real_ fun begins!" He said meanly, a broad, sickening smile on his face.

**TBC

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Hmmm, I had a little of everyone this time. Some Harry/James bonding….and even some arguing! I put a little of the Order in there as well….I hope everyone liked this chapter…Im praying that my next chapter turns out good…if all goes well there will be A LOT of angst…!

I wish I could thank you all personally for the reviews…but it would me days! So a big group hug to all of you! I couldn't do this without the support!

Muah!

Ashley•


	15. Torture

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe! **THIS CHAPTER IS RATED T!**_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it.**_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: To reply to a review I received, I certainly hope this story is not being dragged out, for anyone! I thought that I should take this one slow, and make sure I get every detail. This really, is the first long story I have ever done (I mostly do one-shots or quick, short chapters.) I hope this isn't getting boring for anyone…because this monster is far from over! _

_Anyways, this one should be quite the pleaser…as a reviewer hoped I'd say…_

_BRING. ON. THE. ANGST!

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**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 14- Torture **

Harry and James were led roughly through the twisting paths and dark corridors of Voldemort's hideaway. As per the dark lords' orders, they had both been bound and blindfolded; therefore they had no idea where they were headed until they got there.

It did not take long before the blindfolds were ripped away from them, causing them to squint at the sudden light.

The two looked around quickly, and immediately found themselves in the same chamber that they had occupied the last time.

Voldemort however, was not present. In his place, stood a gaggle of death eaters, and they were all buzzing with excitement.

"This doesn't look good." James muttered darkly to Harry.

"Just remember, no matter what…we give them no information."

James snorted, the thought of Wormtail selling him out flitting across his mind, and replied, "You don't have to remind me."

Harry smiled slightly and nodded. They had no more time to speak, for one of the death eaters had stepped forth, his long blond hair contrasting with his black robes harshly.

Lucius smiled down at the captives. "Have you enjoyed you're stay?" He asked, but did not wait for a reply. He chuckled instead at his own joke and kept talking, "The dark lord has put me in charge of extracting information from you…he has more important things to look after…"

Harry was beginning to tremble with anger, but he said nothing, and continued to listen to the evil wizard.

"If you do not speak, you will be punished. If you tell us the prophecy, or information that can be useful in our plans, you're punishments will not be as harsh. Perhaps you will even be permitted a quick death when the time comes." Lucius smiled wickedly at his last comment.

Harry and James glanced at each other, frowns on the faces of both of them.

Lucius turned to the ring of his fellow death eaters and said, "Prepare them. The older one will suffer first."

There was a surge of movement, and Harry found himself being dragged away from his father. "Dad!" He couldn't help but yell out, struggling with all his might as he was thrown into the small cell in a corner of the room.

James looked at him, but said nothing as he himself was shoved into the middle of the room. A thick beam of wood was directly above him, heavy chains hung from it. _Great,_ he couldn't help but think as two burly death eaters forced his arms upwards.

He struggled slightly, but it was of no use, it took the death eaters no more than 3 minutes to secure his wrists in the shackles, and James soon found himself hanging uncomfortably from the ceiling, his toes hardly brushing the floor.

Harry watched all of this in horror, his heart pounding erratically in his chest. His father was about to be tortured, and there was nothing he could to about it. All he could do was stare.

Lucius watched as James was chained, an excited gleam in his eye. He had not before met James Potter, but he new that the man had been a respected auror during the dark lords' first rise. _It will be interesting to see how long it takes for him to crack_, he thought wickedly, before walking to the outer edge of the group of death eaters.

After a few minutes, he found what he had been looking for, and he approached the hooded figure. "Draco." He said simply, staring down at the shadowed form of his son.

"Father." The young man replied back stoically, before continuing, "You summoned me…?"

"Yes, Draco. Our lord has put me in charge of extracting information from these two…" Lucius said smoothly, waving his hand carelessly in the direction of Harry and James, "…and I have decided that this is a most opportune time for you to make you're mark." _And a way to help the dark lord forget about the failure you had on your last mission…_

Draco swallowed hard, trying in vain to ignore the queasiness in his stomach. "I see…what…what will you have me do?" he asked hesitantly, brushing a piece of his blond hair out of his eyes.

"For now you will observe. Watch what your superiors do…and perhaps in a little bit, permitting that the two do not crack beforehand…you will be allowed a go at them. In the meantime, you will continue to bring them food on those days you are scheduled, perhaps, in the future, you will even be given the chance to escort them back to the dungeons." Lucius said, observing his sons face beneath his hood.

The blonde's face remained unreadable, the small nod of acknowledgment was the only sign he gave of listening.

Lucius was about to say more, but the impatient death eaters were getting rowdier than before. He turned quickly and strode back over to the center of the room.

Draco swallowed, feeling uneasy all over again. He tugged his hood further over his face (for reasons he himself refused to explain) and watched from a corner as the…_interrogation_ began.

Harry, meanwhile, watched in horror and fury as Lucius smirked at James, who glared back defiantly.

"Did you know, _Potter_, that muggles also have methods of torture? I always found them quite… fascinating. If you ask me, it was one of the only things that the muggles got right in they're pathetic lives." Lucius said silkily.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, _Malfoy_." James replied icily.

The death eater raised his eyebrows and said, "Well, it would seem that you still have not learned to respect those superior to you. I will rectify that today, make no mistake."

James laughed at that comment, and quickly shot back in a spiteful voice, "You and your lot are like the dirt beneath my feet. You're all scum, dirty and deceitful right down to the core."

A vein in Lucius' throat pulsed in anger, but he remained as calm as possible, and replied back coolly, "We shall see who is superior. I have a feeling that you will break much faster than even you realize."

James did not reply, but continued to glare stoically at the blond man. He continued his calm facade even when a whip was placed in Lucius' hands. _I will NOT cry out no matter what they do to me, I will NOT give them the satisfaction…_He repeated to himself over and over again, although he could not help as his body tensed when his shirt was ripped away from his chest.

"Muggle torture is slow and agonizing….and the best part is that there is no immediate danger that the victim will lose their mind, as it is with many magical curses. Therefore, I can go on for a _long_ time _James_." Lucius hissed as he examined the thick leather whip he held.

The death eaters were more restless than before, if that was possible.

_They all want a piece of me_, James thought to himself dryly. "Do your worst, Malfoy." He said with a smirk, ignoring the goose bumps on his chest.

It seemed that the death eater needed no more prompting, and the black leather was brought down swiftly on James' back.

James blinked, temporarily dazed by the blow. He bit down on the inside of his lip as the pain assaulted his back. He had no time to prepare himself for the next blow either, which came just as quickly as the first.

Harry yelled out in horror as his father was whipped. Grabbing the bars of his cell, he shook them uselessly. "No! Leave him!" He cried out; anger such as he had never felt coursing through him.

The death eaters ignored him completely, and soon Lucius had passed on the now bloody whip to another participant.

"Tell me the prophecy!" Lucius yelled over the excited shouts of his fellow death eaters.

James shook his head, his face twisted in torment. A gasp of pain escaped his lips when another death eater decided to leave his back and work on his chest.

_I will not cry out, I will not cry out…_He chanted to himself over and over again.

The blows continued, and Harry yelled himself hoarse. Not stopping his threats and cries for them to leave James alone, even when he had been hit a couple of times by the cruciatus curse. _I can't tell them the prophecy no matter what they do to him…_He thought to himself in anguish. _I can't sacrifice the fate of the wizarding world to help one person…even if that person is my dad. Besides, they'll probably torture him even if I did tell them…_He growled inwardly, his green eyes flashing in hatred.

An hour finally passed (although it felt more like days to both Harry and James), and the whipping finally stopped when James finally emitted one choked cry of pain.

Lucius held up his hand, a slight smile on his face. He had not gotten any information from the man, but at least he had taken some of his pride. _Now for the interesting part…_He thought as he looked at the limp form that stood before him.

James was a bloody mess, his entire torso and back was covered in angry red slashes. All of which were bleeding. The man himself hung limply in his chains, no longer caring that his arms were being pulled out of the sockets. He only vaguely heard Malfoy say, "Not so loud now, are we?" as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

He soon found himself free of his bonds, and groaned in pain as he was dragged towards the cell that contained his son.

"Dad!" Harry cried as James was thrown into the cell.

"…Har…ry…"

"You're going to be okay dad, don't worry…" Harry whispered, eyeing the slashes with disgust.

"Not…worried…" James managed to ground out through the pain. He blinked his eyes rapidly, unwilling to let himself be lost in unconsciousness.

Harry was not able to say anything to this, for he had been grabbed and was being dragged out of the cell. He struggled with all his might against the death eaters. He needed to make sure his father was okay, that was all that mattered at the moment.

"No…don't…not Harry…lea…leave h-him…" James gasped as he realized what was happening. The young father attempted to get to his feet, and of course, failed miserably.

Draco, meanwhile, felt himself shudder. To witness the very bloody torture had been much worse than he cared to admit, but to see the victim struggle to help his son…when he was in so much pain, that made him think doubtfully about what his own father would have done in such a position. _He wouldn't care, idiot!_ He growled to himself, remembering when Voldemort had tortured him, when he had failed his mission at Hogwarts, and his own father had watched calmly.

The foreign feeling of sadness washed over the teenager, but he shook it off quickly. He continued to watch from his spot as Harry, his former schoolmate, was strung up where his kin had previously been, and he found himself wondering why they hell he was thinking and feeling the way he was as of late.

Harry meanwhile, was shaking with rage. His usual bright green eyes were dark with fury as he glared daggers at Lucius.

Lucius smirked; not looking at all perturbed. "You look much too calm and confident, young Harry, especially for someone that, in the end, is eventually going to die."

"You're the one that should be worried Malfoy." Harry spat.

Lucius chuckled softly at this comment, and Harry could have sworn that he heard Bellatrix also shriek with laughter somewhere in the background.

"I somehow doubt that, boy." Lucius replied with a sneer.

Harry shrugged, or at least he attempted to (it was quite hard with his arms bound above his head), and said casually, "Well, we'll see I guess."

Lucius shook his head with a small smile and said sarcastically, "Yes, perhaps we will. Now, if you would be so kind to tell me the prophecy, I will spare you the next agonizing hour of pain that has been planned."

Harry laughed hollowly, "Over my dead body, Malfoy."

"Oh, no, Harry Potter. You may teeter on the brink of death, but you will tell us the prophecy before you are blessed with that fate."

Raising an eyebrow, Harry replied, "If you think torturing me half to death will work, you're wasting your time."

Lucius stepped closer, causing Harry to recoil slightly when their faces were almost touching, and the blond death eater whispered in his ear, "You may not break under torture Potter, but I'm sure your father won't be able to stand his only son dying in such an _agonizing_ way…not to mention I get to have some fun with you."

Harry gnawed on the inside of his cheek, trying his hardest not to retort something back.

"Now, if you refuse to give me any information, we will continue with our little session." Lucius continued casually, the bloody whip swinging in his hands harmlessly.

Once again, Harry shrugged indifferently, and continued to stare straight ahead, refusing any longer to look at his captor.

The whip was raised and brought down swiftly upon Harry's chest. His thin shirt was immediately ripped open, and a thin line of blood could be seen.

"No!" James cried from the cell, shaking the bars uselessly from his position on the ground. He watched with wide eyes as the whip slashed Harry's back and chest continuously, reducing his shirt to tattered shreds.

"Please, don't hurt him…please…STOP IT!" He yelled loudly, tears beginning to burn his eyes.

The death eaters completely ignored the broken cries of the older Potter, and continued to beat Harry mercilessly.

"This pain can all stop; one of you simply has to tell me the prophecy or any other information that can be of some use." Lucius said as he watched Bellatrix take up the whip.

Harry spit at the base of Lucius' feet, his salvia unrecognizable because of the blood it was mixed with. Clearly, his answer was no way in hell.

Bellatrix shrieked with laughter as she wielded the whip in her hands. She brought it down hard on Harry's side, and watched with satisfaction as he tried fruitlessly to curl up in a ball. "How do you like that Potty? No Dumbledore to save you now!"

Harry gritted his teeth as another onslaught of whips assaulted his body. _She'll get hers…she's going to wish she never messed with me… _

The beating continued for much longer than James', and Lucius was beginning to get angry.

The young man hadn't uttered one sound since the beginning and the blond man new that he couldn't let this continue without the risk of permanently damaging the boy. _I will break him, he will cry out, perhaps not today, but soon…_

Draco, meanwhile, continued to watch, transfixed at the sight of Harry. He had never seen someone look so bad in his entire life. The green eyed man was completely covered in blood, his shirt clung to his chest in shreds, and his glasses no longer rested on is nose, but on the floor.

Nausea flitted through Draco's stomach, but it wasn't from the blood. It was the hysterical cries from James Potter that made him feel sick.

The man had risen to his feet, using the bars as support, and for about half an hour, he had been yelling and screaming at the death eaters to leave his only son alone. Even when he had been hit by the cruciatus curse, and a number of other curses, he had not been silenced.

_I have to get out of here_, he thought to himself desperately. Draco quickly made his way up to his father, who was quietly observing from the outskirts. "Dad, I need to go."

"Why would that be?" Lucius asked.

"Erm, I uh, I need to use the washroom." Draco said lamely.

Lucius raised a golden eyebrow at this excuse, but nodded, clasped his sons shoulder and said, "Very well, we are almost finished here anyways. I will speak to you later son."

Draco resisted the urge to squirm out of his fathers grasp, and politely waited a moment before turning and leaving the room swiftly. He chanced a glance at Harry, and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw that the teen was staring at him. He paused for a second, and he saw the recognition flicker through Harry's eyes before they slid shut and he went completely limp in his bonds.

_He new it was me,_ Draco thought uneasily. Quickly shoving this thought out of his mind, he shut the wooden door behind him, hearing James yell, "Stop! You're going to kill him!" before he was finally out of earshot.

Draco breathed in deeply, and after a few moment of regaining his composure, he turned down a corridor and headed towards the only person he could talk to about his thoughts and feelings…professor Snape.

_**Meanwhile…**_

Harry had finally been cut loose, and had instantly crumpled to the floor in a heap.

"Take them back to the dungeons; make sure that the wounds are healed just enough so that they do not bleed to death." Lucius said to two death eaters, whilst the rest left the room, buzzing with excitement and slight disappointment that the fun had ended so soon.

The appointed death eaters nodded, and after rebinding the two captives and blindfolding them, the larger one picked up the unconscious form of Harry, while the other shoved James roughly out of the cell.

The four walked through the corridors, steadily making their way to the dungeons.

James completely ignored the pain that was coursing through his body, his mind set on his son. _He's going to be okay, he's going to be okay…they can't kill him, they need him…he's going to be okay…_he repeated to himself over and over again, desperately hoping that he was right.

Finally, they reached the dank dungeons, and James felt the blindfold being ripped from his face. He immediately began to look for his son, who had just been tossed carelessly into the cell.

He himself soon followed, and he scrambled over to the unconscious form of Harry. One of the death eaters behind him had pulled out his wand, and the next think James new he was feeling slightly better, and Harry was bleeding only a little bit.

_They healed us, well;_ he thought with a snort_, they healed us enough so that we wouldn't bleed to death. _

James didn't even bother to give the death eaters a glance, and continued to examine his son, barely noticing when the death eaters left. He sighed with relief when he found a strong and steady pulse. "Don't worry Harry; everything is going to be okay." He said softly as he brushed a piece of hair away from the teen's eyes.

James leaned backwards, and was startled when he felt something soft beneath his fingers. Turning around, he saw two bland looking sweaters resting on the ground, and beside them were his and his sons' glasses.

_I guess they don't want us to freeze to death either_, he thought dryly. He shoved his pride aside and quickly put one of the scratchy sweaters on before covering Harry with the other one.

With an exhausted sigh, James lay down beside his son and shut his eyes. He passed out almost immediately, sparing himself from re-living the thought of his son being beaten over and over again.

**TBC

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_Well, it's not very long. But I hope everyone enjoyed it. I was afraid to post this chapter, as I've never actually written a real torture scene before. _

_Heh, I know it's been a while since I've updated…sorry! Thank **Lilyrose** for this chapter…I wasn't planning on posting it yet…but she made me feel bad! Honestly though, I kind of took a bit of a break from this…I didn't mean to though…I was writing part of this chapter when this show called Smallville came on…and well, long story short I watched it and now I'm obsessed…I mean…Tom Welling is freaking HOT!_

_Oh...and I also just worked two weeks straight...so I didn't really have much time to update to being with...heh_

_Anyways, thanks for the wonderful reviews…until next time!_

_Ashley•_


	16. Contemplation

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: Here's another chapter for you all, I hope you enjoy it…_

_Oh, how do you spell "angimus" because I don't believe that's the correct way…but I didn't want to have to dig through one of the books to find the proper spelling (I'd forget to do it and then this update never would have been posted lol)…if someone could tell me how to spell it I'd appreciate it : )

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**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 15- Contemplating **

Draco wrung his hands uncomfortably as he sat on the wooden stool. Looking around, he spied his former professor hunched over a complicated looking assortment of potions. The dark haired man was completely ignoring him, and had only motioned for him to sit when he had entered the dark potions chamber over half an hour ago.

Snape looked, if possible, even worse than the previous time Draco had seen him. His sallow skin was paler, his hair greasier, and he was much thinner. His eyes were clouded and dull, and dark rings shadowed them. He was clearly under a lot of stress, and hadn't slept in days by the look of him.

With a tired grunt, Snape suddenly straightened and turned away from his work table. He observed the teen silently, his beetle black eyes still able to send shivers down Draco's spine.

"So, Draco, am I correct in assuming that the little torture session with the Potters didn't exactly suit your fancy?" Snape said hoarsely, regarding the blond man curiously.

"You knew about it?" Draco asked cautiously.

"Of course I did, Draco. The dark lord informed me about who he had left in charge of the interrogations, and it only takes a moderate genius to know that your father would want you to participate." Snape replied snappily.

Draco stiffened at the harsh tone the former teacher spoke with. "I didn't participate." He said quickly.

Snape raised an eyebrow and said, slightly sarcastically, "I would think that you would be bragging about how you were able to make them cry out."

Draco shuddered, the image of James Potter screaming from the cell flitting through his mind. "I didn't like it at all, all I did was watch and it made…it made me feel sick." He blurted out, his hand flying to his mouth the moment he said it.

Snape sighed, rubbed his eyes and sat down opposite of Draco. The young man looked horrified at what he had just said, knowing that if the dark lord or his father found out he'd be under the cruciatus in less than a second.

"Relax, Draco. I will not relive a word of this to another living soul; I made a vow to protect you."

The teens shoulders slackened slightly, his teacher wouldn't betray him, he was pretty sure of that.

"I don't…I don't know what to do." Draco mumbled.

"You must do what you believe is right." Snape replied smoothly.

"You did what you thought was right and look how you ended up!" Draco said in a frustrated tone, his voice elevating slightly.

Snape smiled bitterly at the comment. "I did what I had to do, and you know that. I had made an unbreakable vow with both Dumbledore and your mother, I couldn't break either one. I have explained this to you already; I will not do so again."

Draco sucked in a deep breath of air, willing himself to calm down before he continued. "But look at where you are now, you won't admit it openly because you don't trust me, but I can tell that you hate being here…you hate working under _his_ command. I bet…I bet you'd go back if you could. I bet if you knew it was safe and that you wouldn't be blasted to pieces if you tried, you'd return to that Order Dumbledore had going…"

Snape studied Draco closely before deciding to answer honestly, "I have grown to trust you over the past year, Draco. I also know that you don't want to be here, you would leave if you could…wouldn't you?"

Draco didn't reply, his eyes falling to the floor. He knew damn well that he hated being here; he hated the dark lord with a passion. His childish dreams that he would be a powerful wizard, one that father would look at with pride, had died the moment he had seen Dumbledore thrown out that window. His life here was not at all like he had imagined it to be…his father still didn't respect him. _There is nothing you can do to get him to love you; you'll always just be an heir…_

Draco snapped out of his train of thought when he realized that Snape was still speaking.

Snape continued, already knowing the answer to his question, "I will continue to do what I believe is right, and you should also consider doing so."

"You're planning something." Draco stated as the realization suddenly dawned upon him.

"Your perceptions on people have improved since the time you spent at Hogwarts." Snape said calmly.

When the former professor didn't elaborate, Draco continued, "You are! What are you going to do? Tell me!"

"No, Draco. I may trust you, but I will not give you any information, at least, not yet. It is for your own safety."

Draco sighed. "How am I supposed to do what I think is right? Say…say I did want to get out of here…and, and not saying I like them or anything, because I don't, say I did want to help the Potters…how could I?"

Snape smiled slightly, "Draco, you will know what to do when the time comes…trust me."

Silence followed this statement; it was broken a few minutes later by the shrill ringing of a timer.

The potions master immediately got to his feet and went to the work bench, where the potions had been simmering. "It is time for you to leave, Draco. I need to continue this concoction immediately or it will be useless."

"What's it for?" Draco asked curiously as he got to his feet, not really expecting an answer. He was surprised therefore, when he got one.

"It's for the angimus; the dark lord has requested it for the past month. It will prevent him from changing back into his true form for a temporary amount of time."

"He really has him, then? I heard rumors that he had been brought here a few months back."

Snape nodded, "He had become a sort of…toy pet for the dark lord to take out his…frustrations on."

Draco swallowed uncomfortably at this statement.

"Now, leave me. I have much work to do before this day ends."

Draco nodded and made his way to the door; he slipped through it silently and made his way through the dark corridor, his mind spinning with unanswered questions and his stomach churning with anticipation about what his former head of house was planning.

_**Later That Day…**_

James woke up slowly, moaning slightly when the pain on his upper body suddenly hit him. Hissing in pain, he sat up and put on his glasses. Looking to his left, he was surprised to see that Harry was no longer sleeping beside him.

Wiping the sleep out of his eyes as they adjusted to the darkness, he felt his heart start to pump faster than normal, and despite the chilling cold, his face was beginning to heat up because of his mounting anxiety. _Where is Harry? God, they didn't take him somewhere when I was sleeping, did they?_ He thought to himself in a panic.

Willing himself to calm down and think rationally, he did the first thing that came to mind, "Harry?" He called out quietly, squinting through the darkness.

"I'm here, dad." The tired voice replied.

Frowning, James stumbled to his feet and felt his way around the cell, "Where? I don't see you anywhere!"

"They moved me to the cell across from you. They must've done it when we were passed out, because I don't remember it." Harry replied.

James growled in frustration and anger. How was he supposed to make sure Harry was okay when he could hardly see him?

"Are you alright?" The concerned father asked.

There was a moments hesitation and then, "Yeah, just a little sore…you?"

The young father frowned at the weak lie and replied, "If you don't answer me honestly then I won't return the favor."

Harry sighed and answered back, "Alright you win…I feel like I got into a fight with a pack of hippogriffs and lost miserably." _Even that's a little bit of a lie_, the teen thought to himself from where he sat. In reality, he felt like he had gotten into a scrap with a pack of hippogriffs _and _the giant squid, but he wasn't about to worry his father sick.

"I feel about the same." James mumbled. His eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness, and he could make out Harry now. His son was leaning up against the wall, with his head resting on his knees.

The teens face was as white as a sheet, and his hair clung to his forehead. James couldn't tell if it was sweat or blood that made it cling, but he guessed it was blood, considering the fact that it was freezing.

"How long have you been up?"

"Not long, I called out to you twice…I heard you waking up about 10 minutes afterwards." Harry mumbled, trying in vain not to pass out again. The pain was unbearable, but it was the pounding headache that made him want to continue sleeping.

Shifting slightly in an attempt to get more comfortable, Harry continued to speak quietly, "I'm sorry about all of this."

James frowned at the apology and said stubbornly, "Don't apologize for something that's beyond your control. We'll get out of this together, even if it takes a while."

Harry laughed softly at these words, "I got you mixed up in this. Voldemort targeted the both of us for a reason. Don't tell me it's not my fault dad, everyone I care about either winds up hurt or worse…"

"This isn't your fault, and I'll tell you that until you believe it. Voldemort is a twisted monster and so is anyone who works under him, and that definitely has nothing to do with you." James persisted.

Harry frowned, but thought against replying. He wasn't in the mood for arguing about something so trivial. "You're stubborn, you know that?" He chose to say instead.

James grinned, "You should've met your mother, she was ten times worse than me."

Harry laughed scratchily and was about to comment on that statement, when the door suddenly opened and light washed into the room.

The cloaked figure from earlier had come back, but this time Harry had an idea of who it was. The image of Draco Malfoy flashed through his mind as he thought back to the torture chamber. His former classmate had been talking to his sickening father, and at the same time had been poorly attempting to shield his face away from the center of the room.

Rising shakily to his feet, Harry strode towards the entrance of his cell and glared daggers at the figure, who was busy taking in the poor state of both him and James.

If the death eater had noticed the evil look he was receiving, he ignored it. Instead the man produced two trays of food with his wand and levitated each one into the two cells that were occupied. He then promptly turned to leave.

"What? Not going to say hello to an old classmate, _Malfoy_? You always had something to say at school, didn't you? Especially in potions class…but I guess your buddy Snape isn't here to back you up. Where is that snake anyways? I have a score to settle with him." Harry said loudly to the retreating figure, completely ignoring the fact that he was beginning to feel lightheaded and that his legs were shaking.

The figure stopped, but did not turn around. "Just keep your mouth shut, Potter…or things will just end up worse for you." Draco said quietly.

"Oh really? Tell me, Malfoy…how could things possibly be any worse? I'm stuck in a dungeon, Voldemort is my captor, your demented father is in charge of torturing me _and_ my dad, and I can't do a damn thing about any of it! Tell me how it could get any worse, would you please?" Harry said sarcastically.

Draco sighed heavily and left the room without another word, slamming the door heavily behind him.

James, who had been watching the exchange with both interest and worry, frowned at his son, but decided against lecturing him about his rather big mouth, mostly because the younger man looked as if he would pass out where he was standing.

Harry scowled at the door, and was about to turn around and lean back up against the wall when he suddenly swayed dangerously on the spot.

"Harry!" James cried, helpless from the other cell.

"I'm ok…" Harry mumbled as he attempted to regain his footing. He was of course lying, and it was more than clear that he was when he lost his balance and collapsed to floor, landing mere inches away from the food tray Draco had left.

"HARRY!" James yelled, attempting to spring to his feet. His legs failed him however, and he continued to sit where he was, as close to his son as he could possibly get from his cell.

Harry groaned in response and slowly rose into a sitting position. "I'm ok," He repeated, "I just stood up too fast and let my anger take away my energy…I'll be fine in a minute."

James continued to watch his son anxiously, waiting impatiently for some color to return to the teens face. _I hate being separated from him, how is a father supposed to protect his son in a situation like this? What on earth am I supposed to do? _He thought to himself, feeling angry, helpless and frustrated at the same time.

Finally, after about 10 minutes, Harry felt his nausea pass and he was able to eat some of the food that sat next to him.

James also began to nibble on the feeble cheese sandwich he'd been given, his nose wrinkling in distaste at the staleness of the bread.

_**Meanwhile…**_

Draco ate his dinner slowly. He really had no appetite at all, but he moved his fork around his plate to give the illusion that he was eating. The past 24 hours had been gruesome and emotional, and that last encounter in the dungeons hadn't exactly made his day. _So much for Harry not knowing it was me, _he thought to himself scornfully. His life would be a lot harder if Potter decided to yell at him every time he their delivered food.

Lucius sat across from Draco, drinking deeply from a goblet of wine, completely ignorant to the turmoil in his sons' eyes. The seasoned death eater put down his goblet and said, "I know that today was probably difficult, considering that it was the first real torture you've seen, but trust me, it gets better…and eventually, it becomes enjoyable."

Draco nodded in agreement, but he was thinking something completely opposite. _How can he find whipping someone unconscious when they are tied up enjoyable? It should be a fair fight, at least. _

"Father, forgive me for being so forward but why is it that our lord is not personally presenting himself at the interrogations? I thought he wanted Harry Potter in his grasp so badly he could taste it?" Draco asked respectfully, knowing the only way he stood chance of getting an answer was if he asked politely.

Lucius studied his son carefully before saying, "That is strictly between the dark lord and I."

"Oh…" Draco replied, hiding the disappointment in his face.

"But, since you are my son…I will tell you, but you must swear not to breathe a word to anyone." Lucius continued hesitantly.

Draco could hardly suppress his grin as he thought back on what James Potter had told his father earlier that day;

"_You and your lot are like the dirt beneath my feet. You're all scum, dirty and deceitful right down to the core."_

_Guess it doesn't matter whose secret you're keeping, if my own father is able to tell me the dark lords' secret, who knows how many others he's betrayed. _Snapping out of his thoughts, Draco quickly put all of his attention on his father, who had just opened his mouth to speak.

"Our master plans to overrun Hogwarts, he is busy planning how it will be done."

Draco felt the color leave his face, and he found he couldn't speak. The thought of his prior school being taken over by Voldemort was horrible. _That was the only place that felt like home to me. _He admitted to himself, sure, he hadn't exactly gotten along with the old headmaster, but at least he'd been able to get away from the cold mansion. "I…I see…" He finally managed to get out.

"I know of nothing else, the dark lord would give me no more details, except that it would take at the very least, a few months to finalize."

Nodding his head, Draco continued to eat the rest of his meal in silence. Finally, after another half an hour of annoying silence, he excused himself.

"Draco, the consequences will be dire if this leaks out…for both of us. Do not betray me, son." Lucius said softly, watching with cold eyes as his son made his way out of the room.

"I won't, father." Draco replied smoothly before hurriedly leaving.

_I need to talk to Snape about this; I can't sit back and watch Hogwarts get destroyed! _He thought to himself desperately.

His good sense won out however, and he headed to his room and not to the potions lab. It was late, and he needed to mull over in his mind what his true priorities were before he made his decision.

_**Grimmuald Place, Two Days Later…**_

The residents of Grimmuald place were eating breakfast quietly and talking softly about nothing in particular. The feeling in the gloomy kitchen was a tense one. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione had woken early, the Malfoy mansion search was to be completed this morning, and they were all anxious for some news.

They had been disappointed however, by the sad look on Mrs. Weasley's face upon entering the room. The search had turned up nothing, and every other lead had come up with a dead end.

There was still no trace of either Harry or James Potter.

Hermione slammed her fork onto her plate and stood up suddenly, startling everybody who say at the table eating breakfast.

"Uh, Hermione?" Ron said uncertainly.

"I _can't_ do this anymore!" She said loudly before turning around and promptly storming out of the kitchen.

Ginny buried her head into her hands, and her mother sighed, shooting a very tired looking Arthur a depressed and helpless look.

"Erm…I uh, I better go and see to her…" Ron mumbled, pushing his chair away from the table and abandoning his helping of bacon. He was out the kitchen door before anyone could see how flustered he looked.

It didn't take long for him to find Hermione; she was in the library, her nose in a book yet again.

"Hermione…you can't just stay glued to that chair, you need to eat." He said awkwardly when she paid no attention to his entrance.

"I can't just make small talk when my best friend is being held captive by _Voldemort_!" She cried, shutting her book with a snap and turning to look at Ron, her eyes glittering with unshed tears.

Ron swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat and said in a choked voice, "This isn't just hard on you, Hermione. Harry is my best friend too…I'm just as worried as you…"

Hermione's lower lip trembled, and a few tears slipped unnoticed down her cheeks. "I know, I'm sorry…I'm just so scared for them…what-what if they don't come back?" She sniffed.

Ron sat down beside her, and rubbed her back soothingly as he poorly attempted to keep his own feelings at bay. "We'll get them back Hermione…no matter what…we will get them back!" He said emotionally.

Hermione nodded but more tears fell, and her face was soon buried in Ron's chest.

Ron felt his own composure crumble to pieces, and for the first time since the two went missing, he felt wetness on his cheeks and new that he was crying.

He didn't stop the tears from running down his cheeks, instead, he buried his face into Hermione's hair and let the dam break lose.

**TBC

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_Got a bit emotional at the end…I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I bet you are all wanting to ask a million questions by now eh? Don't worry they will all be answered in time! _

_Just in case I don't get an update out before Christmas…**MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR**! How's about you leave a review as a Christmas present? I've been good this year haha…_

_For any of you who don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a great end of the year anyways : )_

_Thanks for reading,_

_Ashley•_


	17. Choices

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: Heh…I honestly didn't even realize how much time had passed since my last update…you guys still love me…right? Alright…here's the next part for you…hope you like it! It was a tough one to write!

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_

**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 16- Choices **

_**Six Months Later, June 2006 **_

Snape slipped down the hall stealthily, holding his breath when Lucius and another death eater walked down the hallway. Sucking in a mouthful of air, he made himself blend into the shadows as the two walked by.

Today he was putting his plan in motion; he could hold it off no longer. Voldemort was planning on killing the animagus within days, and Snape could not allow that to happen. _He will be able to scout out the woods and find the safest way back to Hogwarts, and he'll be able to smell any death eaters that are bound to follow James and Harry when they get out…if they get out…_

The potions master quickly snapped out of his thoughts, he needed to focus on the task at hand. Once he was sure that Lucius and Goyle were out of sight and earshot, he continued forward. Snape halted when he found the door he was looking for, and noted that a new death eater was standing guard…Felvin.

Sneaking forwards, Snape swiped a piece of his long black hair out of his face and raised his wand. "Stupefy!" He whispered, a satisfied sneer gracing his features when the smaller man hit the ground, unconscious.

Taking care to step on the unconscious death eater (he had hated Felvin the moment he'd laid eyes on him), Snape dragged him into the room and quickly shut the door behind them.

A deep growl came from the corner of the dark room, and Snape quickly muttered, "Lumos!" after dumping Felvin on the ground. He then made his way towards the furious growling.

The animagus was chained to the wall, and at the moment he had pulled the metal to its fullest length.

Snape raised an eyebrow at the large animal, eyeing the sharp and deadly teeth warily. "This may come as a surprise, but I'm here to help you, now shut up with that racket you're making and let me explain." He said coolly, still keeping out of the animals reach.

The animal quieted slightly, but it still kept its teeth bared as it studied Snape suspiciously.

"I'm going to get you out of here, but you need to listen carefully. If you let your pig headed stubbornness get in the way, I guarantee you will get caught. You must trust me." Snape said with a sneer. _Just because I'm helping him escape doesn't mean I have to be nice to him._

The animagus snarled before sitting down, its bristling fur smoothing as it continued to watch the potions master.

"I'm going to get those chains off of you, but you have to swear that you won't barge out of here and fight your way to the dungeons. We only get one chance at this." Snape whispered, "Oh, and you better not try and rip me to shreds either…"

The animal bowed its head in acknowledgement, and Snape was sure that if he could speak, he'd be flinging an insult or some sort of sarcastic comment at him. Hesitatingly lifting his wand, Snape muttered something inaudible under his breath, and the collar around the animal's neck dissolved into nothing.

Watching patiently as the large (but rather skinny and shaggy) beast shook itself and stretched, Snape continued to speak, "I will lead you to the air duct at the end of this hall; crawl straight through until you reach the end. You will have to use your strength to break through to the outside...after that the rest is up to you. If you manage to evade the death eaters that are bound to come looking for you, look for the safest way back to Hogwarts...if Harry and James don't escape within the week, head south towards the school."

The animal nodded its large head and followed Snape slowly out into the hall. The two walked down the hall, which seemed to stretch on for miles, before coming to a large vent.

Snape muttered, "Reducto!" and the metal was immediately blasted off of its hinges.

"Maybe it's good that they starved you, you never would've been able to fit if you'd been at a healthy weight." Snape said bluntly as he admired his handiwork, he smirked at the murderous look he received in exchange for his comment.

"Oh, one more thing…you will be able to turn into your human form within a few hours…but I highly suggest that you don't. The dark lord will be able to pinpoint exactly where you are if you use any form of magic. Don't transform until you are on Hogwarts grounds."

"This took me months to properly plan, you better not mess this up." The potions master continued, "If I risked me neck for not-"

Snape wasn't able to finish his sentence when someone down the hall screamed, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?!"

Turning towards the sound, Snape and the escaped prisoner both found themselves staring at Felvin, who was brandishing his wand as he ran at them, his free hand rubbing his head.

"Son of a bitch!" Snape growled before turning to his companion, "Go! Go you fool!"

The animal hesitated.

"Don't be an idiot! Get out of here while you still can! GO!" Snape yelled over the noise that Felvin was making,

"SOMEONE GET DOWN HERE! SNAPE IS HELPING A PRISONER ESCAPE! HURRY!"

Dodging a stunner that had been shot at him, the animagus quickly squeezed into the air duct, turning its head once again to look at Snape.

"I don't expect a thank-you, you don't like me and I don't like you. I'm just doing what I believe is right, now get the hell out of here!" Snape hissed as he pulled out his wand.

The animal turned its head forwards and quickly disappeared from view.

Snape was quickly overwhelmed as more death eaters poured into the hall, he knew that there was no escape, and he also knew that once Voldemort found out what he had done, he'd be dead. His wand was suddenly ripped from his hand, and two death eaters quickly restrained him.

Lucius suddenly bullied his way to the front of the group that had formed and gave Snape a look that could kill, "You traitor! Why would you do something so foolish?"

Snape smirked and shrugged.

Furious, Lucius punched the former professor across the face and whispered, "You will be killed for this, do you know that?"

"I'll sacrifice what I have to, if it means my life, so be it." Snape replied calmly as he spit blood out onto the floor. _The rest is up to you, Draco, _was his last thought before he was punched once again, sending him into darkness.

"Take this filth to our master." Lucius spat before walking away swiftly, his robes billowing as he disappeared from view.

_**Later That Night**_

Draco shook uncontrollably as he entered his room. _He's dead, he's actually dead. _He thought to himself disbelievingly.

Angrily wiping swiping away a tear that had escaped down his cheek, Draco flung himself on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

Snape was dead. Voldemort had killed him after mercilessly torturing him in front of over 30 death eaters, Draco included.

_What am I going to do? _Draco thought to himself helplessly, _if Snape couldn't even get the animagus out without getting caught, how am I supposed to release Harry and James? _

"God damnit!" Draco whispered, punching his pillow in frustration. He had known about Snape's plans for two months, and he hadn't done a thing to stop him. _I should've insisted that I kept guard! _

Groaning, Draco sat up and rubbed his temples. His brain was going a mile a minute, and while it was true that he no longer wanted to become a sworn in death eater (he was supposed to get his true dark mark in a few months) and that he wanted to save Hogwarts from destruction, he was still unsure if he was willing to risk his life for the Potters.

Blinking his eyes, the teen stared at his room blankly, before gasping and jumping off of his bed. Rushing over to the small desk that sat in the corner of his room, he lifted the book that sat on top of it, finding an envelope underneath.

"How could I have forgotten?" He mused as he sat back down, referring to the day before when Snape had said secretively;

"_If things go astray, look to your desk." _

Draco carefully broke the wax seal and pulled out the parchment, he eyes scanning the neat writing of his former teacher eagerly.

_Draco_

_Destroy this letter the moment you have finished reading it, it is too risky to keep something so condemning. Now, if you are reading this, it can mean only one thing, I'm dead. Truthfully, I believed this fate inevitable, and I do NOT want you to blame yourself. It was my decision to carry out my actions, and I would've body binded you before letting you partake in the first phase- you are needed for far more important tasks. _

_Now, I know that you are still undecided about where your true loyalties lay, but I could not wait for you to choose, Voldemort was planning on killing the animagus. I can only hope that you will do what you believe is right, you are now the Potter's only chance._

_If you decide to help them, you must act quickly. We have already spoken about the safest exit points from the dungeons, so it will be up to you to decide which one to choose. A small bag of provisions is hidden safely in my lab, go there and retrieve it (it is near the ingredient cupboard). I strongly advise that you go with the Potters, if for nothing but your own safety, but that is for you to decide. _

_I have taught you all that I could in these past few years, the rest is now up to you. I have faith in your judgment and I truly believe that you will make the right decision. _

_Severus Snape_

Draco made sure that he read the letter through multiple times, he wanted to memorize the last words from his professor. After he was done, he pulled out his wand and murmured, "Incendio…"

He watched, mesmerized, as the parchment slowly burned into ashes. Draco closed his eyes and sighed as he thought about what he was going to do.

It didn't take him much longer to make his decision. Standing, Draco exited his room and walked down the dark and deserted hallway. A look of determination settled across his face as he headed towards the potions lab.

**_The Dungeons, Next Day _**

James closed his eyes and took some deep, steadying breaths. He was trying desperately to ignore the spasms of pain that were attacking his body. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he breathed raggedly. Six grueling months had passed since he and Harry had been taken, and things had only gotten worse.

Of course, his perception of time was lost, and the only reason why he knew how long they'd been here for was because Lucius Malfoy took any opportunity possible to taunt him with the fact. The death eater had even gone as far as informing him that the Ministry was presuming him and Harry for dead.

James refused to believe the fact, knowing that it was probably just another twisted plan to get him and Harry to give up.

Things had fallen into a sort of routine. He and Harry would be subjected to various forms of torture, which could go on for many hours, they would then be brought back to their cells…usually they would pass out and wake up to a tiny portion of stale food and some water. Then one of the lower ranking death eaters would come in (usually Draco Malfoy) and they would take them to the bathroom just outside the doorway.

"_At least they take us one at a time." James had attempted to joke, failing miserably. _

They would be given 5 minutes to relieve themselves and have a shower (if they were lucky to even get a shower), and then the appointed death eater would come in and watch them shave their faces (they watched so that they wouldn't kill themselves with the blade).

"_I wouldn't give them the satisfaction." Harry had said with a snort. _

After this was done, they were led back to their cells and the cycle would start over again.

James leaned up against the bars of his cell and continued what he had been doing for a couple of hours, staring at the door in anticipation. Harry had been carted away, and the father was worried sick.

The death eaters were frequently taking Harry to be tortured alone, leaving James screaming from his cell to bring him as well. It was extremely hard for the father to wait, his anxiety always reaching its maximum capacity before Harry was dragged back to his cell.

Rubbing his eyes, James willed himself to stay awake. The last thing he wanted was to pass out before he could check on his son. _Who knows what horrible things they're doing to him…_he thought in anguish. It tore him up inside every time Harry was brought back, usually unconscious and a bloody mess.

Every time the teen woke up, he would reassure his father that he was 'alright' before either passing out again or attempting to eat the food he'd been left.

James was torn from his train of thought when the heavy door screeched as it was opened. He looked up earnestly, his face eager but full of fear. He quickly masked his emotions however; when he realized that it was not Harry…it was Draco Malfoy.

Draco looked exhausted. He was paler than usual and almost looked as thin as Harry (which was definitely saying something considering that he and Harry were pretty much being starved). The young man made his way over to James' cell hesitantly.

"What do you want?" James asked coldly, his voice hoarse.

"I need to tell you something…" Draco muttered, his eyes flitting around nervously.

_He's afraid that someone is going to overhear, _James thought, now intrigued he said, "And that would be…?"

Draco fidgeted on the spot before saying, "The dark lord…he's making plans…he's going to attack Hogwarts later next month…"

"Why are you telling me this?" James whispered, the bit of color that remained in his cheeks disappearing. "It's not like I can do anything about it!"

Draco continued to fidget as he looked towards the door and then back to the father, "Just remember…Hogwarts is to the south…it's very close…"

James was extremely confused by this point. _Sure, the kid doesn't exactly seem happy here, but why would he risk his life to tell me something that is obviously confidential? _"Why are you telling me this?" He asked again, his voice impatient.

"Because I don't know if I'll get another chance to." Draco replied bitingly, some of the persona that Harry had grown accustomed to at school coming out in his anxiety.

Struggling to his feet and gripping the bars for support, James said in a slightly suspicious but hopeful voice, "What are you planning?"

"Just be ready." Draco replied.

"Ready for what?" James pressed.

Draco growled in frustration and said, "I don't want to risk telling you anything yet, the dark lord might find out."

James laughed and replied, slightly smug, "He hasn't found out what he wants to know from us, and we've been tortured over it."

Draco shook his head, "I don't want to risk it. Just make sure you talk to your son, the last thing I need is for him to make a scene…"

"Why would he make a scene? What are you going to do?"

"You've got to trust me on this, Mr. Potter. Harry and I aren't exactly best mates; he probably won't believe I'm trying to help."

Before James could ask more questions, a scuffling noise was heard from outside.

Draco cursed and whispered, "Remember to be ready…" before pulling his cloak back over his head and slipping through the dungeon door.

_Can we trust him? _James pondered as he continued to watch the door.

Mere minutes after Draco had sneaked off, Avery entered the room, dragging a limp Harry with him.

"Harry!" James cried out, hoping to get some sort of response.

Avery opened up the door for James' cell, who stepped back quickly, slightly surprised.

Avery threw Harry into the cell, glaring at James, who caught his son before he hit the ground.

"Make sure he lives through the day, our lord is coming to pay the two of you a visit tomorrow." Avery snapped before stalking out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

James collapsed to the floor, his son still in his arms. "Harry? Harry, come on son…look at me." He pleaded desperately.

The teen was completely covered dirt and his own blood. It seemed that the death eaters had used a cutting curse on him. The gashes across Harry's stomach could be seen through his now useless sweater, and his entire body shook. _Probably from the cruciatus…_James thought with a shudder.

Pulling off his own sweater (which was in slightly better condition), he pulled it over Harry's head gently. James shivered, his now bare chest covered in goose bumps, but he didn't care.

"Harry? Can you hear me? C'mon Harry, don't give up on me now." He continued to speak softly, tears building in his eyes at the obvious pain his son was in.

"D-dad?" Harry suddenly whispered, his eyes opening slightly.

James let out a small, relieved laugh and replied, "Yeah, it's me. I'm right here."

"T-they…were…angrier…t-then usual…" Harry mumbled, hissing in pain.

"We're going to get out of here, very soon…we will." James assured his son.

Harry smiled before closing his eyes again, "Need…sleep…"

James squeezed Harry's shoulder lightly and replied, "Okay, go to sleep, but when you wake up I have to tell you something….okay?"

"Kay…" Harry whispered before passing out, using his fathers lap as a pillow.

James stroked his son's hair thoughtfully. _I don't care how untrustworthy Malfoy is. Neither of us is going to last much longer here…we need to take any opportunity that presents itself. _

_**The Burrow**_

Hermione felt silent tears falling down her cheeks as she read the Daily Prophet. The Ministry had given up all hope that Harry and James would be found alive.

"Six months…and nothing….not even a hair of them has been discovered…" Ron sighed from beside her.

"They can't be dead, they can't be!" Hermione moaned as she threw the paper away, furiously wiping her cheeks.

Ron clutched her hand tightly and replied, "The Order and the Ministry have combed every square inch of Britain _and _America."

"There's probably spells on the place where they are, making it undetectable." Hermione countered.

"Maybe…" Ron replied. He was hesitant to put too much faith into this theory, his best friend had been missing for over six months, and a lot of people had hinted that he should start preparing himself for the worst.

Before Hermione could continue with her theory, the two were being called back inside the house by Ginny.

The two sighed, neither of them wanted to leave the cheery blue sky for the somewhat gloomy house, but they headed towards the back door anyways.

The Weasley's and Hermione had returned to the Burrow a few weeks ago. Hermione, Ginny and Ron had all read every single book the Black's library, but nothing had helped them. Mrs. Weasley had insisted that the group get a change of scenery, so they had come back to a more cheery house.

Of course, Mad-Eye had insisted upon putting up as many enchantments as possible so that the house was virtually undetectable to anyone that was not part of the Order.

The rest of the group hadn't had much luck either, not even Remus had gotten any hints as to where Harry and James could be. It was also becoming increasingly hard to continue the search, courtesy of Voldemort's death eaters. The evil witches and wizards were wreaking havoc where ever they could, and it was keeping the Auror's preoccupied.

Ron and Hermione made their way into the kitchen, and were surprised to see Fred and George sitting at the table, identical grave looks on their faces.

"I thought you guys were staying at the shop all day?" Ron asked curiously as he took a seat.

"We found something out; we need to tell the rest of the Order immediately." George said seriously.

"Is about Harry and James?" Mrs. Weasley asked anxiously, wringing her hands.

Fred shook his head, "We overheard a drunk man in a bar…he's a suspected death eater. He was talking to his companion about some 'top secret mission'."

"He was hard to understand, he kept slurring his words, but he said something about an attack on Hogwarts…and that he accidentally overheard You-Know-Who talking to someone about it." George continued.

A collective gasp resounded through the room.

Hermione jumped from her seat and said, "We need to get the word out now."

"I'll go with you to the Grimmuald Place, we can floo there." Ron added, temporarily forgetting about Harry.

"I've got to get to the Ministry and tell your father!" Mrs. Weasley added, "Ginny, you can come with me."

"We're off to Hogwarts, there are guards surrounding the grounds still, we'll warn them and find McGonagall." Fred chimed in.

The group quickly made their way to the fireplace, all grateful for something to do, but still extremely anxious for the well being of the school, and of course, for their two missing friends.

**TBC

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_Not really happy with the way I ended this chapter, hopefully you guys think otherwise._

_(Ducks Snape lovers, who are throwing cauldrons at her) Eeek! I know, I know! I killed off Snape! I'm sorry!! It had to be done! Hmm, well you guys will at least find out who the mysterious animagus is very soon, maybe even the next chapter! You guys probably already have a good idea…but we'll see : ) _

_Soooo, will Harry and James escape? Will Draco go with them? Will the Potter's even survive their little session with Voldemort? Get the answers to all these questions and more in the upcoming chapters!_

_Heh, leave a review? I'm sorrrrryyyy it took so long to update! This chapter was one of the hardest yet to write!_

_Xo, Sunkisst _


	18. You Again

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: I got this out quickly…heh, hopefully it makes up for the long wait last chapter! I'm not fully satisfied with this chapter (it was a struggle to portray Draco's emotions), but I hope you enjoy it!

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**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 17- You Again **

Draco rubbed his clammy hands together as he examined his small room. He had been up for the past 24 hours, planning.

Licking his dry lips, Draco took a deep breath. Everything was ready, he had gathered as many supplies as he possibly could, which wasn't much. All that his former professor had been able to leave him was a small healing potion for the road, and a compass.

All he had was one pack, which had two fresh sweaters in it, Snape's compass, and a small amount of rations. Draco quickly added a small first aid kit, along with the healing potion, as he thought sarcastically, _this is probably the thing those two are going to need the most. _

Once he had triple checked his room, Draco shrunk the pack with his wand and hid it in the pocket of his robes. He knew that it was now or never, it was the perfect opportunity to get them out. He only wished that he could do it before the Potter's had their meeting with Voldemort. _They better not get themselves killed!_

Draco was pretty sure that his father was only letting him escort the two back to their cells because he wanted him to look good in front of Voldemort. The teen had smiled considerably when his father had informed him the day before; it was like the perfect Christmas present.

Of course, his father didn't know the real reason why the news had made him so happy; he merely thought that he was excited to show the Voldemort how loyal he was.

_I just hope the dark lord doesn't knock them out, there's no way I'll be able to get them out slung over my shoulders. _Draco pondered grimly as he slipped his wand into his robes.

It was almost time.

_**The Dungeons**_

When James woke up again, the first thing he noticed, without even opening his eyes, was that his son was no longer resting his head in his lap. Secondly, he was covered in the sweater he had put on Harry hours before.

Grunting, the father rose from his slumped position, rubbing his neck as he did so. Scanning the perimeter around him, he found Harry huddled in the corner across from him. "Harry…?" He said tentatively.

"I'm alright." Harry said quickly, lifting his head and giving his dad a small smile.

"You should've kept the sweater, yours is torn to nothing." James frowned, fingering the rough cloth in his hand.

"_You _shouldn't have given me yours, when I woke up you were shivering like mad. You're going to catch pneumonia if you keep covering me with it when I'm not awake." Harry lectured.

James raised an eyebrow as he pulled the shirt back on and said, "Hmmm I think _you_ should have thought of that when you did the exact same thing for me…on more than one occasion…"

Harry laughed slightly and replied, "Alright…let's just call this one a tie…okay?"

Smiling in triumph, James nodded his head in agreement.

"How long do you think we were out for?" Harry asked suddenly, turning serious.

"I don't know…maybe 10 hours…or maybe 15 minutes…you can't really tell down here…" James sighed.

Harry mimicked the act and leaned his head up against the wall. "You know…it's weird…when I was with the death eaters earlier…they seemed furious…"

"Yeah, you said something about them being angrier than usual, any idea why?" James asked curiously.

Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Harry continued, "I don't know…but I don't think it was about us directly, maybe the Order is getting closer to discovering this place?"

James suddenly sat up straighter as his conversation with Draco Malfoy suddenly flashed through his head. "Harry, I need to tell you something." He said quickly.

Surprised, but intrigued by the sudden urgency in his father's voice, Harry leant forward eagerly.

Glancing at the door cautiously, James quickly recounted what had happened earlier. To his surprise, his son did not immediately snarl that Malfoy couldn't be trusted. _Looks like I'm not the only one who's seen the conflict in that kids eyes. _He thought as he waited for Harry to respond.

"I don't know…" Harry said slowly, his brow furrowed in thought.

James could almost see the conflict going on within his son, but he remained silent.

_Malfoy was going to kill Dumbledore! _Harry thought, but that was immediately argued by the fact that he had _seen _Draco lower his wand. _He was afraid for his mum…but he's always been sneaky, he almost cost Hagrid his job! He was all proud of working for Voldemort! _

"I don't know dad, I've known him for seven years and he has never proven himself trustworthy, this could just be some sort of ploy…some release and recapture thing to make himself look good…or he could just be messing with our heads…" Harry muttered.

"I know I'm kind of the wrong person to give my opinion…but people do change. Malfoy might've just needed a huge wake-up call."

Harry still wasn't convinced.

"Harry…" James continued, "Remember what you said the first day we woke up in this place?"

Nodding his head, Harry answered, "Take any opportunity to escape…because we have nothing to lose…"

"Exactly. This is our best bet; we have to trust Malfoy, even if he is a Slytherin who happens to work for Voldie."

"Voldie?" Harry questioned, a smirk grazing his worn face.

James grinned, "Yup, think he'll like his new nickname?"

"Don't you dare call him that, he'll probably kill you on the spot." Harry said seriously.

"Phftt…it can't be worse than calling him Tom, can it? He despises that name and I seem to recall a moment in time when you called him by it…"

Harry threw up his hands in defeat and said, "Another tie, then? I won't call him Tom, and you won't call him Voldie…maybe we'll live through this session long enough to play whatever game Malfoy has planned."

James laughed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, it's a deal, I swear I won't call him Voldie."

Harry moved towards his dad, intending to shake on it, but yelped in pain and fell backwards, clutching his arm.

The slightly cheerful atmosphere dissolved in an instant, and James painfully slid towards his son. "Are you alright!?" He exclaimed worriedly.

"Fine…this cut just went a little deeper…just fine…" Harry said through gritted teeth, still holding his upper arm.

James glared at his son, mad that he was lying to him. "You aren't _fine _Harry; they did a number on you! You almost bled to death earlier! Now let me see it." Not waiting for an answer, the concerned father gently took the younger mans arm and gently rolled up the damp, bloody sleeve.

The cut Harry had been clutching was more like a gash. The area around it was red and inflamed, and James swore that he could see some bone. "Harry! You could've bled out, why the hell didn't you tell me?!" He nearly shouted as he ripped off a piece of cloth from Harry's old undershirt, which until that time had lay forgotten in a corner (it had been used multiple time to dress the wounds the death eaters hadn't bothered to heal).

"Forgot…about…it…." Harry ground out, moaning in pure agony when his father tied the cloth around the wound as tightly as possible, stemming any more blood flow.

James shook his head and hissed, "I don't want to lose you to something like that. I'd never forgive myself if you bled out, or a wound got infected because you didn't tell me about it. Swear to me that you'll tell me when I miss an injury on you. We're supposed to be here for _each other_son, and don't say that you didn't want me to worry…you are my son, it's my JOB to worry…"

Harry was touched by the small rant, and he quickly promised, although he wasn't really sure on how good he would be at keeping that promise. _I was on my own for so long…it's weird having someone yell at me because I forgot to tell them about a cut…okay, maybe it was more than a cut…but still…_

Harry had no more time to dwell on the oddness of having a father, which he still hadn't gotten use to despite being in captivity with him for six months, for the door suddenly opened, causing light to explode into the room.

Wincing, James and Harry shielded their eyes and looked at Felvin and Avery, who had obviously come to take them to Voldemort.

"He said to be ready…" James whispered in Harry's ear before he was torn away from his son and forced to stand upright. He wobbled slightly, and despised the fact that he needed to lean on Avery to stand properly.

Harry hissed in pain when Felvin grabbed his arm and wrenched it upwards, making him stand. He would've fallen right back down, but the death eater kept a firm, and indeed, very painful grip on his shoulders. Biting the inside of his cheek, the teen scrunched up his face as he fought the dizziness that hit him like a train.

Soon, the two captives were bound, gagged and blindfolded.

Father and son breathed raggedly as they stumbled through the halls, both of them exhausted by the small amount of physical exertion. It was doubly hard when they couldn't get air through their mouths, especially for James, whose nose had been broken by Goyle a month ago, and hadn't been properly mended.

Harry's legs were shaking badly by the time they cam to a halt, he absolutely hated being in such a weakened condition.

James blinked rapidly when the blindfolds were ripped from their faces; Avery shoved his glasses back on his face roughly, giving him a clearer view of the room.

Sighing, Harry realized that they were back in what he had started to call 'The Torture Chamber'. However, there were very few death eaters this time. He could make out Lucius and Draco, their blond hair was quite noticeable, and he could also see Bellatrix and…Wormtail.

James shook with fury when he spied his former friend cowering beside a completely robed figure, who was obviously Voldemort.

Harry shot his father a warning glance, which was enough to keep the man from yelling profanities at the pudgy man.

Draco watched them, the butterflies in his stomach intensifying. _This is really it, _he thought as he swallowed.

Harry stared back at Draco, noting that he looked extremely nervous and pale. _Maybe he is serious, maybe he really does want to help us, _he thought briefly before averting his eyes from his former classmate. _Keeping eye contact might make Voldemort suspicious._

The blond teen must have been thinking the same thing, for he turned away to speak to his father quietly.

"Ahhh how nice to see the two of you again." Voldemort said as he slowly made his way towards the pair.

"Can't say we feel the same way." Harry replied coldly.

Voldemort laughed at the reply, "I must say, young Harry, that I am impressed with how stubborn you are. My best death eaters were not able to pry the prophecy from you, and only managed to get details about the Order that were quite obvious to anyone."

"Guess you underestimated me…" Harry replied, a slight smirk grazing his features. He was not about to give this madman that satisfaction of seeing how nervous he truly was.

"You won't get anything out of us, Voldemort. You can keep us here forever if you want to; we won't breathe a word of that prophecy." James added confidently.

"We shall see, Mr. Potter. I have decided to take it upon myself to interrogate both of you, form this point forward. My prior engagement no longer requires my constant attention, everything is ready."

"What's ready?" Harry questioned, although he had a pretty good idea of what it was.

"Tell me the prophecy and I will tell you." Voldemort replied smoothly.

Harry snorted, "You'll have to do better than that."

"I thought as much, and I will enjoy doing so." Voldemort chuckled, his red eyes gleaming with excitement.

_That doesn't sound good, _Harry and James both thought nervously.

"What makes you think that you will have more success than your death eaters?" James asked.

"I am much more persistent, _Prong's_. Things will not be getting any better for either of you." Voldemort answered, a sadistic smile gracing his white face. "Now, I think we've had enough talk for the moment, I believe a small dose of what is to come is in order."

Avery and Felvin immediately began to lead Harry and James to the stone wall.

Harry glanced at his father nervously when he spied the empty chains attached to the stone. "This doesn't look good." He mouthed.

James nodded grimly in agreement. _Not good at all. Merlin, I hope we survive this little 'dose'. _

Felvin slammed Harry back against the wall roughly, and quickly locked his wrists and ankles tightly, nearly immobilizing him.

Avery duplicated this with James, and then two death eaters backed off quickly.

Voldemort wasted no time, his wand was in his hand in a matter of seconds, and he quickly hit Harry with the cruciatus.

Harry screamed in agony as the blinding pain enveloped his entire being. The gash in his arm immediately started to bleed again, along with the other small cuts that littered his face and chest.

"HARRY!" James screamed, only a few feet away. He tried desperately to touch Harry's hand with his own, but the shackle around his wrist held it firmly in place.

As soon as Voldemort lowered his arm, Harry panted, "Is…that…the best…you…can…do?"

Voldemort's upper lip curled into a sneer as he lifted his wand again.

Harry recoiled, attempting to brace himself for the next attack, it never came though, and the teen was mortified when his father was hit instead. "NO, LEAVE HIM ALONE!" He attempted to yell over James' screams.

"HOW CAN YOU JUST SIT THERE AND WATCH THIS? YOU COWARD!" Harry roared, his furious eyes settling on Wormtail, who unconsciously took a step backwards in fear.

"He…isn't…w-worth your anger…Harry." James mumbled when he was released from the curse.

Draco watched, trying not to flinch, as Voldemort alternated between Harry and James, throwing different, equally painful curses at them. _Oh my god, how the hell did I ever want to be a part of this? What is WRONG with me? _He thought, horrified.

Soon, Harry and James were unable to even retort at Voldemort's taunting. Any form of movement brought the two unbearable pain.

"Sectumsectra!" Voldemort suddenly shouted gleefully.

Harry barely managed a moan when the curse hit him. He felt his skin slicing open, and clenched his teeth when his own, warm blood trickled down his skin, the feeling was nauseating.

James looked on in horror as his son's face suddenly went three shades paler than minutes before. Silent tears ran down his face when the sweater his son had on turned scarlet. "You can't leave him like that, he'll die!"

Draco wanted to retch at the sight, and had a very hard time not showing how sickened he was. He knew exactly the type of pain Harry was currently going through, he himself had been hit with that same curse accidentally in his sixth year.

When Voldemort partially healed the dark haired teen, the relief on Draco's face was almost obvious.

"Perhaps some fun with my death eaters before you two turn in for the night?" Voldemort questioned, not waiting for a response he continued, "I'll take that as a yes."

Harry and James slumped to the ground as soon as their bounds were magicked away.

James crawled over to his nearly unconscious son, who had taken the brunt of Voldemort's beating.

Voldemort grinned wickedly at the sight and said, "As I said, that is only a small dose. There is much, _much _more where that came from."

James watched as the evil wizard took a seat in a chair opposite of where he and Harry currently were, the look in his eyes ready to kill.

The father had no time to check over his son before the death eaters were upon them.

The group had taken towards muggle beatings, and they swarmed Harry and James, punching and kicking any available area.

Spitting out blood, James clutched his stomach as he glared up at the group. He immediately noticed that Draco was hanging towards the back, looking unsure of what to do.

Bellatrix shrieked in delight when James jerked beneath one of her kicks, and she quickly whipped out her wand and hit him with the cruciatus.

Harry yelled out in fury. The death eaters were beating more so on his father than him, obviously because he was more conscious, which meant more 'fun'. Struggling to his knees, he lunged towards Bellatrix, taking her out at the knees.

The death eater swore in anger when the two skidded across the floor.

Feeling his small burst of adrenaline wear off, Harry was unable to move or defend himself when Bellatrix blasted him across the room. The breath was knocked out of him, and he lay where he landed, attempting to force air into his lungs.

James, who had been released by the cruciatus when Bellatrix had fallen, looked at his son anxiously. _Get up, come on Harry, give me some sign that you're alright! _He was so focused on Harry that he hardly felt the kick that was dealt to his ribs.

Draco sucked in a mouthful of air and quickly stomped over to Harry. _I have to pretend that I want to do this! _

Grabbing Harry's arm, Draco jerked him up into a standing position as roughly as he could manage. Mustering up a cold glare, he mouthed, "I have no choice" before punching him in the gut.

Harry gasped in pain when the breath was once again knocked out of him, and he gave his former classmate a loathsome glare.

Meanwhile, James watched with mixed emotions from where he lay on the ground, relieved that Harry was conscious, but worried that he wouldn't be much longer.

Biting the inside of his cheek, Draco threw Harry back onto the ground roughly, and kicked him in his less injured shoulder.

Curling away from Draco's foot, Harry groaned as his vision swam.

Kneeling beside him, Draco grabbed his hair and tilted his head towards his ear. "I'm sorry, but I need to make this look real. It'll be over soon." He whispered. The teen wasn't sure why, but he needed Harry's forgiveness.

"That is enough for now." Voldemort suddenly said, causing Draco to sigh in relief.

"Draco, you and Bellatrix will escort the prisoners back to their cells." Lucius said from beside the dark lord, smiling broadly. _Do not fail me, son. _

Nodding, Draco dragged Harry upwards again. After securely bounding him, he pushed Harry into the direction of the door, his stomach doing full out flip flops. _Crap, I'm going to have to be quick if I've got to take out Bellatrix...ugh why couldn't it have been Wormtail? I could have taken him down with my pinky. _

Chancing one last glance at his father (who was currently engaged in an intense discussion with Voldemort), Draco wondered idly if this was the last time he would see him. _He's going to want to kill me once he finds out…I just hope mum doesn't feel the same way as him. _Sighing, the young man waited for Bellatrx to stalk out of the room with James before quickly following behind her.

_This is it. _

**TBC

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_Hope you enjoyed it! Draco's plan goes into motion in the next chapter…will he get the Potters out? Keep in mind, even if he does, there is a huge, dark forest awaiting them…Stay tuned for the next update! _


	19. Escape?

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: I have a feeling people are going to kill me when they get to the end of this chapter…we shall see…looks around nervously It's a pretty good cliffy… _

_I was so excited to get this one out that I may have missed some spelling errors in my haste to type and re-read it…forgive me? Lol : )

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**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 18- Escape?**

Draco held Harry tightly as the four neared the dungeons, the fellow teen could barely walk, and kept stumbling. "Hang in there." He breathed in his ear, looking at Bellatrix intently as he did so.

The death eater did not hear what he said; she was too busy mocking James. "You sure do know how to pick your friends out, Potty! A rat, a werewolf and that idiot cousin of mine!" She drawled as she roughly steered the man down a flight of stairs.

James growled through his gag, wanting to say something very vulgar. He continued to walk blindly, trying to ignore the fact that Bellatrix had a tight grip on him. He tuned out the sound of her voice and instead thought about Harry. _I hope he's okay. I wonder if Malfoy is going to do something soon…_

Draco took in his surroundings carefully, his heart pumping wildly when he realized that if he wanted to act, he had to do it _now._ Sliding out his wand, he placed Harry on the ground after whispering, "Don't make a sound."

_No turning back now. _

Bellatrix was quick to realize that there was a lack of footsteps behind her, and she spun around quickly as she pulled out her wand.

James fell to the ground, unable to keep his footing when Bellatrix had turned around so suddenly. Wondering what had happened, he lay on the floor, waiting and hoping that something in his and Harry's favor was about to take place.

"What're you doing, Draco?" Bellatrix demanded, her eyebrows rising when she saw the wand pointed directly at her.

"Something I should have done a long time ago." Draco replied with much more confidence than he truly felt, "Stupefy!"

The older female had no time to react; she fell to the ground, unconscious.

Breathing heavily, Draco quickly knelt down by Harry's side and untied his hands. He left his former classmate to get his own blindfold off, and ran to James.

James was free in a matter of seconds, and he rubbed his raw wrists before stumbling over to his son. "Harry!" He exclaimed, helping the younger man stand.

"We need to move quickly. You-Know-Who knows when magic is used anywhere in this castle, he'll realize that something is wrong. Hurry." Draco said quickly.

The Potters regarded the blond teen, still doubtful of his loyalties, but they followed him down the hall nonetheless, he was their only chance out of this hellhole.

As they walked, or in Harry and James case, stumbled, Draco continued to speak quickly, "Remember to head south, it should take you less than twenty days to reach Hogwarts. Don't use any magic whatsoever until you reach the school. You-Know-Who has charms cast all around this place; he'll be able to pinpoint your location if any magic is used. I've got a few supplies for you, ration the food carefully and don't lose the compass."

"We…aren't…stupid…Malfoy…" Harry grunted, closing his eyes as he tried to wish away the unbearable pain that was coursing through his body.

"Just shut up and listen." Draco snapped back, his voice barely above a whisper. He turned the two down another hallway before continuing to speak, "You guys have to be extra careful tonight…it's a full moon and there are werewolves all over this forest. I wanted to get you out on another date but it was impossible, tonight was the only night I could do it."

"Great…" James muttered, "Werewolves, death eaters and a massive, dark forest."

Voices were suddenly heard down the hall, causing Draco to curse angrily, "Damnit, we have to move quicker than this!"

"If…you h-hadn't…noticed…we were…just….tortured…and you…got a f-few good…kicks in t-too…" Harry gritted out, he was having a hell of a time staying conscious.

Draco shot him a glare before replying, "I'm going to have to carry you."

Harry's mouth dropped open and he snapped back, "H-hell…no w-way…"

"Don't start up that Gryffindor pride, Potter! Your dad can't support you and move quickly at the same time, it's slowing us down. Let me carry you." Draco said through clenched teeth.

Harry shook his head stubbornly, but James contemplated the offer. He didn't trust Draco fully either, but the younger man was right.

The volume of voices down the hall increased, and that seemed to make up his mind, "Harry, he's going to carry you, he's right on this. I'm sorry, son." He sighed.

Draco immediately grabbed Harry from his father, ignoring the furious look he was receiving. He quickly slung him over his shoulders in a typical and quite comfortable rescue hold before surging forward, James right behind him.

"We…never…speak of t-this…again…" Harry mumbled, he knew that he should feel more embarrassed, but at the moment he was in too much pain.

"You and me both, Potter." Draco replied back.

After another ten minutes of fast paced walking, they came to a door. Malfoy pulled it open and turned the group left, shutting the door quickly behind them as he did so. Finally, they came to a halt.

"Where are we?" James panted; the exercise had taken its toll on his malnourished body.

Draco didn't reply, he tapped the solid wall with his hand and muttered a few words. Suddenly, the bricks dissolved into nothing, and the other side of the wall was revealed.

James' mouth fell open in shock when he found himself staring at the dark, starry sky and forest, which he could see was massive. He eyed the hill they stood on worriedly; the elevation didn't work to his and Harry's advantage. Getting down the steep, rocky hill and into the dark forest was going to be painful.

"It's supposed to be an emergency getaway exit if the fortress is ever attacked. I figured it was the safest way to get you guys out." Draco grunted as he slid a now almost unconscious Harry off of his back.

James gripped his son tightly around the waste and took a tentative step onto the grass. He breathed in the scent of the forest, not at all intimidated by its vastness. "We're outside, Harry. We're almost home free…we are going to make it." He whispered to his son, the hope he had almost lost coming back in floods. _We have a chance…we can get away._

Harry only moaned in response, to weak to give a full reply.

Draco fiddled with something in his pocket, before producing a miniature sized bag. He muttered something, and the pack quickly enlarged. "Here…" He spoke quietly, "Your supplies…there are sweaters in there and a healing potion as well. I'm sorry I couldn't find your wands, they were probably destroyed…you'll have to get new ones."

James took the offered pack and hesitated before saying, "You should come with us, they'll kill you when they realize what you've done. We can talk to the Order when we get back, they won't punish you if they know you're responsible for saving Harry and I."

Draco gave the man a half hearted smile, "I need to hold them off and give you guy's time to escape, I'll look for the three of you if I manage to get away."

James frowned, "Three of us?"

_Crap, _Malfoy thought, _he'll ask too many questions if I tell him…_

"Uh, listen…there's no time to explain, just get out of here and keep running."

"Who's this third person?" James persisted.

"Listen to me, Mr. Potter. There is no time, you have to get moving or you will both end up back in that cell, you'll know who I was referring to soon enough." Draco replied urgently.

James hesitated; he was both curious about this third person, and concerned for the teen that stood before him. He had never been one to leave someone behind. Finally, at Draco's urging, he nodded and began to stumble down the hill.

Draco watched them go wistfully, before taking a deep breath and turning around. There was no way in hell that he was going to let the two of them be captured again. Weaving his wand between his fingers, he stepped back into Voldemort's fortress and braced himself.

James meanwhile, was having a difficult time supporting Harry as he made his way down the rocky, steep hill that led to the outskirts of the forest. "Hang in there, son." He muttered, shooting the younger man a concerned look.

"T-trying…" Harry mumbled, the rocks were jarring his injuries, and the blood that still oozed from his wounds was making him extremely dizzy. He shivered slightly at his fathers side, despite the fact that the air was fairly warm.

James clenched his jaw, also in pain, when they finally made it to the base of the hill. "Once we are under the cover of the forest, we'll figure out which direction to go in, alright?"

"K-kay…" Harry whispered, his breath hitching in his throat when his ribs seared with pain. _Okay, at least one of them is broken…_He assessed.

Finally, the two managed to stumble into the forest. They continued to walk for a few minutes before stopping and slumping to the ground.

James immediately dove into the pack, and produced a tiny compass. He fiddled with it for a few minutes before pointing and saying, "Alright, that's the direction we need to head in."

Harry nodded, and tried to push himself back to his feet. "Need…t-to…move…quickly."

"Whoa, slow down son, you can hardly talk, let alone stand on your own!" James said quickly, who rose to his feet, slightly unsteady, before grabbing Harry again.

"Once we are at a safe distance, we have to take a look at those wounds you have."

"Yours too…" Harry replied stubbornly, "I wasn't….the o-only one…hurt…"

James smiled slightly, but did not reply.

The two continued to walk as fast as they could manage, the adrenaline in their systems surely the only thing that was keeping them going.

Harry suddenly went rigid in his father's arms, and his hands shot up to his forehead.

James watched in bewilderment as his son suddenly collapsed to the ground, letting out a bloodcurdling scream of agony as he did so.

"Harry!" James yelled in pure horror, falling to his son's side and grabbing his shoulders.

Harry convulsed on the grass for a few minutes, moaning in pain. He shuddered slightly as the pain in his forehead ceased, and James gently grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands away from his face.

"Harry, what the hell just happened?" James asked desperately.

"I'm too weak to keep the mind barriers up….h-his anger…felt i-it through…s-scar…" Harry mumbled, panting, "Guess…he c-couldn't keep h-his own barriers up e-either…t-too angry…"

James paled considerably before saying, "Can you walk?"

Harry nodded, and with help, he managed to stumble to his feet. "Gotta k-keep moving, he's so f-furious….if he finds us…"

"He won't." James cut him off, "We are going to get out of here."

Harry nodded, hoping that his father was right.

_**Voldemort's Fortress**_

Lucius cowered under the furious glare that his master wore. He had just reported the news that the Potters had managed to flee the castle with the help of his own son.

The dark lord was blasting holes into the concrete, his red eyes were shining with absolute fury, and his pale face was twisted into something ugly.

"Milord…what shall you have me do?" Lucius asked, his voice hardly above a squeak.

Voldemort shot the death eater a glare and hissed, "You _failed_ me, Lucius. You placed too much faith into that son of yours. Tell me; are you more loyal to him than you are to me?"

"No!" Lucius replied, without a moment's hesitation.

"Prove it, Lucius…prove it and I may let you live."

"How shall I prove it to you, Milord?" Lucius asked, his head bowed in obedience.

"Capture and kill him, Lucius. He is a traitor and he must be dealt with."

A brief thought of what Narcissa would think flashed through his mind, but Lucius nodded his head and replied, "Of course, I will do as you wish."

Voldemort smiled thinly, "This is your last chance to redeem yourself, Lucius. If Draco Malfoy is not dead at my feet by the time my attack on Hogwarts is complete, I _will_ kill you. Now, there are more important tasks at hand, we must find the Potters. Send out the werewolves and hunting parties immediately, the fact that tonight is a full moon works to our advantage. Go."

Lucius fled the room immediately. _Damn you, Draco! _He thought furiously, _that boy is going to pay dearly for his choice. Stupid, stupid fool, did he really think that he could get away with this? God damn that cursed son of mine! _

Meanwhile, Voldemort had once again taken to blasting things apart. There was little doubt in his mind that his prisoners wouldn't be recaptured, but there was still the possibility, and that infuriated him to no end. _I need that prophecy! _

_**The Forest**_

Harry and James had resumed their hurried walking through the woods, stumbling over twigs and rocks as they went.

"I can't believe we haven't heard anyone following us yet." James suddenly spoke quietly.

"I know…" Harry replied, the lack of death eaters, and dark creatures was making him slightly nervous.

As if they had been heard, all of a sudden a loud howl penetrated through the darkness.

Harry and James looked at each other with wide eyes, both knowing instantly that it was a werewolf.

"Oh shit…" Harry croaked out.

"We need to keep moving." James spoke hurriedly, turning his head to look behind them. Thankfully, there was nothing following them…at least, not yet.

"Slimy git…c-can't even come after us himself…h-has to send o-out his ser-vants…" Harry growled.

Several more howls floated through the air, and James realized grimly that there was more than one hunting them. Straining his hearing, he continued to lead his son through the brush, eventually coming to a small river.

"M-maybe if we cross…they'll lose…the scent…"

James nodded; he had been thinking the exact same thing. "Do you think you can manage?" He asked Harry, concern etched in his voice.

"I can…I can f-force my…self…" Harry ground out, his face twisted with pain and determination. He really had no idea how he would be able to swim across, especially with what was probably a couple of broken ribs, but there was no way he was going to give up after they had gotten so far.

"Right, hold onto my arm and we'll go for it. I hope Malfoy put a charm on this bag so that the contents won't get wet, it'd be shame if the sweaters got soaked…" James mused, shouldering the pack securely.

"Let's get this o-over with…" Harry said, grabbing his fathers forearm tightly. He didn't even want to think about how cold he was going to be after getting across.

The two waded out into the water slowly, picking up speed when the sound of pounding paws got closer.

Both of them gritted their teeth in sheer agony as they used their injured and underused leg muscles to propel themselves to the other side of the bank. There were two incidents where Harry almost slipped under the water and one where James' legs almost gave out, but they managed to crawl onto the other side of the bank in the end.

Shivering and exhausted, the Potters hauled themselves back to their feet and continued to stumble through the woods.

"I think we lost them." James spoke after twenty more minutes of walking.

"I hope so." Harry replied, trying to stop his teeth from chattering.

Unfortunately, James was only half right. While they had lost _most _of the werewolves, one of them had picked up their scent again, and it howled in triumph.

"You should…leave me…y-you can still g-get away." Harry whispered, knowing that there was no way they could outrun the werewolf.

"Don't be stupid, Harry. I'm not leaving you to die!" James all but snarled, "Now come on, we aren't giving up!"

"D-dad…I'm so t-tired…" Harry's strength was fading, the loss of blood finally taking its toll on his broken body.

"Stay with me, please…stay with me." James pleaded desperately.

"Trying…" Harry whispered, his eyes half shut. He forced his body to continue to run, wondering mildly how much longer his determination could win out against his body's protestations.

Suddenly, there was a loud snarl from one of the bushes to the Potters right side, and before they could react, a massive wolf suddenly leapt at them.

James and Harry dropped to the ground simultaneously, narrowly missing colliding with the creature.

Pulling Harry behind him, James backed up against a fallen log, grabbing a large stick as he went.

Brandishing his pitiful weapon, James eyed the drooling creature. "Stay back!" He yelled furiously, ignoring the large yellow fangs and glittering eyes. _He won't get his filthy paws on my son if I can help it!_

"Dad, you can't beat him…with a stick…" Harry groaned from behind him, "Can you…transform?"

James considered this option, he hadn't attempted to transform into a stag since they had been captured, knowing that it would be pointless and would simply result in wasted energy. "I can't Harry, no magic allowed, remember?" He answered, his eyes never leaving the animal that stood before them.

"Desperate times…"

Shaking his head, James replied, "We have a better chance surviving against this thing than Voldemort, besides, I don't think I'm strong enough right now."

"T-true…" Harry agreed, eyeing the animal warily through his half closed eyes.

The animal let out another snarl as it paced before them, and James was sure that if it was possible, it would be giving them a sadistic smile. _It must have taken the Wolfsbane potion; it would've already attacked us if it hadn't. _

The werewolf bared its teeth before tensing.

_Uh oh, that looks like an attack position to me…_James thought anxiously. Bracing himself, he held the large stick in front of him and waited.

The werewolf suddenly sprung forwards with a loud growl, and James swung blindly as he shut his eyes.

The animal never made it within five feet of his prey.

Harry gasped in amazement when a large animal suddenly leapt over the log and his head, landing right in the werewolf's path.

James eyes flew open at his sons gasp, and he looked on with confusion and wonder as the large black animal stood in front of them.

The werewolf growled angrily at the new intruder, and lunged forward.

Its opponent let out a furious snarl and met the werewolf halfway.

The Potters watched, frozen in their spots, as the two animals snapped and bit at each other, moving almost too fast to see what was going on.

A few yelps could be heard, and after less than ten minutes of fighting, the werewolf turned its tail and fled into the darkness. The large black dog did not follow the evil animal, but instead turned around and trotted over to Harry and James, limping slightly.

The animal halted a few feet away from the two, and lowered its head as it looked at them, almost uncertain of what it was seeing.

Harry almost fainted when he recognized the black dog; he couldn't even get a word out of his mouth. _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…it can't be him, it can't be him…oh my god…_

James titled his head to the side as he stared at the animal, disbelief written across his features. All of sudden he felt what Harry must've been feeling when they had first met back at the Burrow. _I don't care how long it's been, I could recognize him anywhere…_

Crawling forwards slightly to get a better look at the animal, James whispered the first thing that came to his mind;

"_Padfoot?" _

**TBC

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_Oh my gosh I'm so evil! Well, now you know for sure who the animagus is! (Even though I probably made it disgustingly obvious ha-ha) Honestly, I love Sirius WAY to much to not have him in this fiction, but I must admit it took a lot of contemplation before I actually decided to bring him back, I hope you are all happy with my decision! _

_So…is Draco okay? Will the trio get back to Hogwarts? How did Sirius survive after he fell behind the veil? You'll just have to wait and see…._

_Oh, and just so you all know, I've mapped out where I want this story to go, and its going to be approximately 30 chapters, it may take me a while to finish it, but I assure you that I will NOT give up on it, I've invested to much time into this story, and I owe it to all of you!_

_Until the next update…_

_Adios!_

_Ashley _


	20. Old Friends

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: Alright everyone, I know this chapter has been a long time coming, and it was horribly cruel to leave you guys hanging after the way I left the last chapter- but let me explain! **My computer broke, and not only was it out of commission for over two weeks, but I lost this entire chapter. Not fun…not fun at all! **_

_Here's the chapter!**

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**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 19- Old Friends **

"Padfoot?"

James brought out his hand, and went to touch the large animal; he hesitated however, and dropped his hand to his side. "Are you real?" He finally whispered, his hazel eyes wide with anticipation.

Sirius Black whined and stepped closer to his best friend, wishing more than ever that he could transform and hug the man. _I can hardly believe that he's actually alive, god, I thought he was dead for over sixteen years!_

At closer inspection, James realized that while it was indeed his best friend, he looked quite different in his animal form. Usually Sirius was a mass of muscle and shining fur when he was a dog, but right now his fur clung to his body in mats, and he looked starved.

Harry meanwhile, had managed to crawl out in front of his father, and he regarded the animagus carefully. "I thought…I-I…you were…d-dead." He whispered, using a shaky hand to touch Sirius' snout. His eyes were disbelieving, but hopeful.

Sirius whined again at the sight of his godson. _It's me, Harry. It's me! _He wanted to reassure the younger man. _Merlin…I missed him. _

The small reunion was suddenly cut short when Sirius suddenly turned his head and growled.

"Padfoot? What do you hear?" James asked anxiously, suddenly remembering the situation they were in.

Sirius snarled again, in the direction that lead back to the fortress. He could hear whispered voices and footsteps; death eaters.

"We…w-we have to g-go…" Harry said suddenly as he too realized the danger they were still in. Using the fallen log for support, he stood up quickly, only to gasp in agony. The world tilted violently before his eyes, and he sank back to the ground as he passed out.

"Harry!" James cried in worry.

Sirius barked and moved toward the younger man, licking his hand.

James quickly slid his arms underneath Harry's frame, and shakily stood with his limp son in his arms. "We need to find somewhere to hide, Padfoot. He's injured badly…if we don't help him…he…he might not make it." He whispered, a hint of desperation in his voice. _I can't lose him now…I can't!_

Sirius nodded his head, thankful that he had had some time to scout out the forest; he knew the perfect place to hide. Trotting ahead of James, he looked back and titled his head to the side.

The older Potter knew that his best friend wanted him to follow, so he took a steadying step before falling into a quick walk. James clenched his teeth, feeling as if every step he took would be his last. His son's added weight was aggravating his own injuries, but he did his best to ignore his weakening body.

Harry needed his help, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to give it to him.

_**Elsewhere**_

Nott looked around carefully, his face shining with sweat. His lord was furious; there was no mistake about it. _If we don't find these idiots…_He gulped nervously at the thought. Things around the fortress would get _a lot_ worse.

Beside Nott, stood a younger man., he was thin and pale with a short, flat nose.

"I can't believe that bastard Malfoy let 'em go! I spent over an hour at that wretched Three Broomsticks waiting to overhear the Potter's conversation; I bloody well acted like a crazed fan just to get the older ones attention!" The man exclaimed irritably.

"Shut your hole, Neftlee." Nott replied bluntly.

Alex Neftlee shot the older man a furious glare. "All I'm saying is that that bastard betrayed us, after all the god damn work we went through to capture the gits!"

"How about you focus on _finding _them, instead of bitching like a damn muggle!" Nott snapped back, his anxiety had reached its peak. The dark lord would probably punish all of them if they didn't re-capture the Potters.

"Yeah, whatever. I guess it's not all bad, at least we aren't Lucius Malfoy." Neftlee continued speak, running a hand through his dark brown hair.

Nott grunted in response, his eyes continuing to roam the area for any hint of the Potters.

"It's funny though, isn't it? I mean, first Snape kills that muggle lover Dumbledore, and then he frees that Black character! How weird is that? Then, days later, Malfoy's own son releases the Potters. You know what? If you ask me, Snape and Malfoy must've been planning this forever." Neftlee continued, snickering slightly, "I wonder if getting himself tortured and killed was part of Snape's plan?"

Nott felt the overwhelming urge to punch the kids face in, but he restrained himself. He hated thinking about how two of their own had managed to betray them within a week. _If I find Draco before his dad, I'm going to kill him myself! Stupid damn kid, putting all of us in this sort of situation! _

"Hey! There's blood here!" Neftlee suddenly spoke, snapping his companion out of his sinister thoughts.

Nott examined the small trail of blood carefully, and allowed a small smile to graze his face. _At least we're headed in the right direction, _he thought, slightly hopeful since he had found out about the escape. "C'mon, we might be close." He grumbled, plodding through the brush with a slight sigh.

Man did he hate forests.

_**Meanwhile…**_

"How much farther, Padfoot?" James panted as he stumbled behind the dog.

Sirius let out a reassuring bark, obviously unable to say, "Not far."

The two continued to walk through the thick bushes, pausing twice so that James could catch his breath.

Whining anxiously, Sirius urged his friend to keep going…he could still hear the footsteps behind them. Squeezing his way through some tight knitted vines, he finally found what he was looking for. Looking backward, he saw James struggling to fight his way into the small space.

After several minutes, and a few acquired scratches, James made his way through the entanglement and stood straight, exhausted.

Looking around where Sirius had taken him, James immediately noticed the small cave, its entrance partially covered by overgrown weeds. "It must've taken you forever to find this place." He muttered between pants.

Sirius shook his head in disagreement. In all honesty, he had stumbled across it when escaping a group of death eaters that had nearly caught him.

James made his way to the cave, and bent down awkwardly as he entered. He set Harry down gently and immediately opened the bag that Sirius had deposited onto the ground.

Shuffling around the contents, he pulled out the two sweaters and a package of bandages. James left the healing potion where it was, not wanting to use it until it became absolutely necessary.

Sirius had been watching him, a hint of anxiety in his liquid brown eyes, before re-positioning himself towards the cave entrance. He kept his ears perked and on alert, listening for even the faintest sound of nearing footsteps.

James took a deep breath before peeling Harry's sweater off of his body. "Merlin…" He muttered as he eyed the numerous bruises, scars and bleeding wounds. He had seen his son bare-chested back at the castle, but there was no light in the dungeons, making it impossible to get a decent look.

The full moon bathed the cave with its luminescent light, making James' task much easier. Taking the small bottle of water out of the pack, he gently wiped the wounds that marred Harry's chest. After cleaning them the best he could, he covered the deeper ones with the gauze.

Once James was satisfied with his worked, he gently put the fresh sweater on his son.

The movement caused Harry to wake up, and the young man looked around with a confused expression. "Dad?" He questioned, "Where are we…and how did we get here?"

James smiled, relieved that his son had regained consciousness and was speaking easier. "You passed out, Sirius led us here."

"Wait…are you saying that you _carried_ me?" Harry asked incredulously.

James shrugged, "It wasn't that bad."

"The hell…it wasn't!" Harry growled as he struggled to sit up, "Let me look…at your injuries."

"Harry, I'm alright rea-" James began to protest, but stopped abruptly at the furious glare his son shot him. _Jesus, I never noticed how much his glare reminds me of Lily's. _

"Alright, alright…" James said hastily.

Sirius, who had listened to the conversation, thumped his tail in obvious amusement.

Harry caught the motion as he helped his dad get his shirt off, and he smirked before saying, "You're next, Sirius. Animagus form or not, I bet you've got some nasty injuries underneath that fur."

Whining a little, Sirius gave his godson his best puppy dog face.

"That's not going to work on me." Harry chuckled slightly, wincing as pain lanced through his ribs. After taking a few controlled breaths, he resumed to inspect his fathers back for wounds.

"Alright, I think I've done the most I can." Harry said after a further twenty minutes had passed.

"Thanks…" James muttered, he could feel sweat dripping down his forehead as he tried to control the pain he was experiencing.

"Okay Sirius, your turn." Harry grunted, sliding over to the large dog.

James grabbed the bottle of water and bandages, and he and Harry picked through Sirius' matted fur.

"Harry, pass me the water will you?" James asked, glancing down at the cut he had just located. It was right above his best friends back leg, the fur surrounding it hardened with dried blood.

Sirius shifted uncomfortably as James cleaned and taped a bandage around the cut.

It took the Potters nearly an hour to thoroughly go through the dog's thick fur. They found several more injures, none of which could be bandaged properly. Most of them were old and partially healed, while others were fresh, but shallow. It seemed as if the worst injury that Sirius had sustained was the slash by his back leg.

"I don't think we'll know if there's anymore until you can transform, Padfoot." James said as he leant against the cave wall tiredly.

Harry heaved a sigh as he slumped down beside his father. Looking at Sirius, he mumbled, "I don't get it, I saw you fall through that veil...everyone thought you were dead…even Dumbledore…"

"Well, he can explain it to us once we get back to Hogwarts. Let's just be grateful that we're all okay…and let's concentrate on getting the hell out of here in one piece." James answered for his friend, who was currently gazing at Harry with a helpless expression.

"Sounds good to me…" Harry said as he yawned, "So, what do you think happened to Malfoy?"

Sirius fixed the two with a questioning gaze.

James looked at his friend and answered his unspoken question, "Draco Malfoy got us the hell out of there, took out Bellatrix and got us to the outside. We left him to defend himself while we escaped into the forest…I didn't want to leave him, but he managed to convince me…"

"Yeah well, he got himself into that crowd all by himself." Harry said gruffly.

Raising an eyebrow, James shot back, "He was raised by Lucius Malfoy, what did you expect?"

"And I was raised by Vernon and Petunia Dursley." Harry replied bluntly, "You don't see me running around cursing magical beings and locking people in cupboards…" _Aw, crap! I did not just tell my dad that the Dursley's locked me in a cupboard...damn my big mouth! _He immediately cursed himself.

"Wait a second, did you just tell me that they locked people in cupboards?" James exclaimed.

Harry shifted uncomfortably, "You know…we should probably get some rest…"

"Harry…" James tone had a warning edge to it.

"Well…" Harry squirmed, "It was more like a spacious storage closet…it was underneath the stairs…"

"THEY LOCKED YOU IN A CUPBOARD?!" James yelled, quickly remembering where they were, he lowered his tone, "I'm going to rip Vernon's good for nothing head off!"

Sirius seconded this with a small bark. _Harry never told me that they did that! _

"It only until I was eleven, after I got my letter they moved me into the spare bedroom." Harry mumbled, he was exhausted and did not want to get into his horrid life at the Dursley's.

"They…locked you…in a _cupboard_…for _eleven _years?!" James continued to rant, his face lined with fury.

"Dad…" Harry said tiredly, "It's in the past, I'm over it. Really…look, we are all exhausted, let's get some sleep…"

"I'm going to kill them…" James continued to mumble under his breath.

"Dad, I'm serious. We have more important things to worry about right now. Trust me; the Dursley's aren't worth the effort." Harry said with a frown, "Please, let's just get some sleep so that we can get an early start in the morning."

"Alright, fine…but when we get the hell outta this mess I'm going to have a little chat with Vernon." James growled.

"I suppose we should take turn doing watches, who's first?" Harry asked.

Sirius barked and stood up.

"You sure, Padfoot?" James asked, "After that fight with the werewolf and all?"

Sirius nodded and sat at the cave entrance.

"Alright," James said with a slight shrug, "Wake me up in a few hours, and then Harry can go last, that alright with you, son?"

"Yeah, okay." Harry agreed before curling into a ball on the dirt. Taking off his glasses, he closed his eyes and attempted to relax his body enough into sleeping.

James copied his son, and lay down beside the younger man.

Minutes later, the cave was filled with the steady breathing sounds of the Potters as they dropped off into a well deserved slumber.

_**Malfoy Mansion **_

Narcissa Malfoy stared out her living room window, her pale eyes reflecting the full moon. The mother let out a shaky breath, and slowly tore her eyes away from the night sky.

Sitting down in one of the leather couches, Narcissa wiped the tears off of her cheeks. Looking down at the crumpled piece of parchment she held in her hands, she couldn't cover the small sob that escaped her throat.

The letter, which had been written by her husband, had informed her that Severus Snape had been caught helping an 'enemy' escape, and had been put to death for his treason. Narcissa had received the letter earlier that day, and she could not get the image of her friend out of her head.

Selfishly, she had found her thoughts immediately turning to her young son. _Who was going to protect him now? _One would've thought that protecting Draco would fall to his father, but Lucius Malfoy had proven time and again that the dark lord came first, his family second.

Shivering slightly, Narcissa threw the parchment into the trash can. She wanted desperately to go and visit her son, but that was impossible. She had never been to the hidden castle, and therefore would not be able to get there unless another death eater showed her where it was.

_I wonder who Severus was helping escape? He wouldn't dare help the Potters, would he? _She thought to herself nervously.

Narcissa couldn't ponder this further however, for a sudden pop from her right startled her. Turning her head sharply, she gasped slightly in surprise when she saw her husband gazing at her. "Lucius!" She said as she quickly rose from her seat.

Lucius strode over to her, but the two did not embrace. They had grown distant with each other since the dark lord's second rising, and acted more like acquaintances than husband and wife.

The blonde woman immediately took in Lucius' pale face and rumpled clothes. "What's wrong?" She demanded, her thoughts flying once again to her son.

"I can't stay, Narcissa. If Draco turns up here, I need you to restrain him and contact me immediately." The flat reply came.

"What?! What in Merlin are you talking about? _Restrain_ him?"

Lucius rubbed his temples and answered grimly, "Yes, restrain him. Listen, he's missing. Draco, our own son, has betrayed us. He helped the Potters escape earlier tonight, and there has been no sight of the three of them since."

"Oh, my god." Narcissa whispered, her knees giving out from beneath her. Sinking into the couch, she said, "What's going to happen to my boy?"

Lucius hesitated for only a second before replying, "Our lord has ordered his immediate execution."

"No!" Narcissa shouted back, "You can't possibly be serious, Lucius! Are you really willing to kill your own son?"

"If it is our lords will, then yes. I will not break my oath." Lucius snapped back.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Narcissa shot back, "What about your oath to protect your family?"

Lucius restrained himself from hitting his wife, "Do not test my patience right now, Narcissa. If he comes here, contact me. Keep in mind that aiding him will lead in your own death."

Before his wife could reply, Lucius disappeared with a faint pop.

Narcissa stared at the spot where her husband had disappeared, before rising quickly. Grabbing the closest thing she could find, she flung the vase across the room and watched it shatter against the wall. Breathing heavily, she paced the room, her pale face red with both fury and fear.

_Severus and Draco must've been working together. Severus…oh god, he must've gotten Draco to turn…_

"What am I going to do?" The distraught woman asked herself out loud.

After several more minutes of thinking, Narcissa stopped pacing as she came to a realization. Her first and foremost duty was not to Lord Voldemort, it was to her son. _If I have to switch sides in order to protect Draco, I will. Severus is gone, I'm the only one left who can help him...and I'll be damned if I don't do my duty! Lucius and his cronies can go to hell!_

With that, the determined mother grabbed her cloak and swept out of the sitting room.

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry **_

Ron and Hermione sat at the front entrance of their school. The two had volunteered to help watch the castle for any intruders.

After McGonagall had heard of the rumored attack, security had been doubled.

"_They won't get this school without a fight!" _She had said in a determined voice

Weaving his wand through his hands, Ron sighed in boredom. "We should go and eat something, we've been at this for hours, and I'm starving."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and replied, "Another hour, then you can go and eat, alright?"

Ron groaned loudly, "There are plenty of people watching right now. They don't need us, too."

"I need to feel like I'm doing something useful." Hermione whispered with a sad sigh.

"Alright…" Ron relented, sympathizing with his girlfriend. It had been far too many months with no word on Harry or James, and the stress was taking its toll on everyone.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, which was broken several minutes later by security sparks by the main gate.

Ron and Hermione jumped to their feet, and shot patronuses into the air (which headed in the direction of Hagrids cabin) before sprinting towards the main gate. A cloaked figure appeared to be on the other side of the bars, and the two teens quickly raised their wands as they slowed their sprint to a cautious walk.

"Who are you?" Ron asked suspiciously, he could hear the lumbering footsteps of Hagrid approaching in the distance.

"I need to speak to the leader of the Order of the Phoenix." The feminine voice replied quietly.

"Who are you?" Hermione echoed Ron.

"I have information that could be highly useful in the search for James and Harry Potter." The voice continued.

"Show us your face!" Ron said a little loudly.

The cloaked figure sighed, and slowly lowered her hood.

Ron and Hermione stared in shock as they looked into the pale face of Narcissa Malfoy.

"Please, I need to speak to Minivera McGonagall immediately." Narcissa Malfoy nearly pleaded.

"Why should we trust you?" Hermione asked suspiciously, her wand still pointed at the blonde woman.

"I'm the only one who can help you find your friends." Narcissa replied bluntly.

Hermione sighed and turned around, "Hagrid1 Go back and find McGonagall. Tell her we have a situation down at the gate that needs her attention!"

The half giant rolled to a stop, waved to show that he heard her, and promptly headed back towards the castle.

"This better be good." Ron grunted at he opened the magical gates, "Drop your wand- no funny stuff."

Narcissa stepped through and let her wand drop harmlessly onto the grass.

The three stood in silence as they waited for McGonagall to arrive.

_They better be willing to protect my son once I tell them what he's done for the Potters. _Narcissa thought anxiously. She was risking a lot by coming to the 'enemy', including her own life, but if her son was safe, nothing else mattered.

**TBC

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_Well there you go, hope you liked it. Oh, and I can't believe how many reviews the last chapter got! Almost thirty for one chapter! I thank you all endlessly for them, and I hope you let me know what you thought of this chapter as well!_

_Xo, Ashley _


	21. Revelations

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: I'm trying my best to get updates out quickly- but I've got two jobs, and a fitness class that I go to every week! Anyways…enough of my excuses, thanks for the reviews and here's the next chapter for TRA!

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**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 20- Revelations **

Narcissa twisted her fingers around in her lap, feeling slightly nervous. She had just told Headmistress Minivera McGonagall all that she knew about the dark lord, including the escape of Harry and James Potter.

Ron, Hermione, Moody and Hagrid were all present in the headmistress' quarters as the blonde woman spilled her guts to them, metaphorically, of course.

"Why are you telling us this?" McGonagall asked suspiciously.

Narcissa didn't hesitate before explaining her reasoning, "My husband appeared suddenly at our home this evening, and told me that it was our son that had helped the Potters escape."

"_Malfoy_?" Ron snorted, up until that point he had believed that Narcissa was perhaps telling the truth, but now he firmly thought it was all a load of crap. _Like Draco Malfoy would help Harry, the slimy git is more likely to hand out soup to the poor! _

"Yes," Narcissa plodded on, "Lucius informed me that our son was going to be executed for his crime against the dark lord, and I couldn't let that happen. Since I do not know where the fortress is, my only choice was to come to you for help."

"So…you want us to protect your son for Voldemort?" Hermione asked, her arms crossed and her brow furrowed as she thought out the situation.

Narcissa winced but answered, "Exactly."

Ron started to laugh bitterly at the very thought of protecting the death eater in training, but was silenced by the deathly glare he received from both Hermione and his former transfiguration teacher.

_They can't actually believe her! _He thought indignantly.

"Even if we agreed to protect your son in exchange for this information…there is not much we can do at this point. We are clueless as to the whereabouts of You-Know-Who's fortress." Moody growled from his chair.

"If you're even telling the truth about Malfoy." Ron added, his voice dark.

"Do you seriously think I would come here, and tell you what I have- and not be telling the truth?" Narcissa replied snappily, "As soon as the dark lord, my husband, and the rest of the death eaters find out what I've done my own life is in serious danger."

A moments silence passed before Hagrid asked, his voice hoarse, "Yer sure yer son has 'em? Yer sure he has 'arry and James?"

"I have no doubt in my mind that Draco managed to get them out of the castle…for all I know they may have already been recaptured and my son dead…I can only tell you what I know." Narcissa sighed.

"I'm not asking that I be protected as well; I just want to know whether or not the Order of the Phoenix will be willing to protect my son- provided that he makes it to safety. His father has shown where his loyalties lay, I do not have the resources to keep Draco safe from you-know-who, and Severus is dead…" Narcissa practically pleaded.

"Wait, did you say Severus Snape is dead?" McGonagall asked sharply, her eyes flashing.

"I received a letter from my husband by owl post this morning informing me that Severus had been executed. It was dated two days ago, and did not specify why he'd been killed…I can only assume that he was in on the plan to release James and Harry Potter." Narcissa explained.

"Jesus…" McGonagall mused, rubbing her temples as she thought. "I suppose that if we assume your husband sent the owl from the hideout…that it can't be too far away…"

"I need a pensive…" Moody added grumpily as drummed his fingers against the desk.

Ron remained quiet, still unable to believe Draco Malfoy's mother. "How do we know if you're telling the truth?" He finally demanded.

"You won't know until…unless Draco and your friends find their way back from wherever they are." Narcissa said calmly. "Trust me when I say I don't like this situation anymore than you do."

"Can't we detain her until we find some sort of evidence that says whether or not she's telling the truth?" Ron directed his next question to Moody.

Moody shook his head. "We have no reason to believe that she is hiding anything that may be illegal- in fact, she willingly gave up this information to us." He replied gruffly, clearly just as an unhappy as Ron was.

"Yeah, for a price…" Ron muttered darkly.

"What about vertisaeum?" Hermione suggested.

McGonagall shot this idea down quickly, "We have none here, and there isn't a skilled enough potions master that can brew it for us quickly, at least- not one that will keep quiet. We can't go to the Ministry either, the moment we ask for a bottle of the truth potion there will be questions…and leaks to the media."

"Who cares if they find out about this?" Ron asked.

"Mrs. Malfoy will be killed on the spot, You-Know-Who will find out that she came to us…and it may jeopardize our attempts to find Harry, James and Draco before the death eaters do." McGonagall answered.

"I'm sitting right here." Narcissa said irritably, annoyed by the fact that they were talking about her as if she wasn't present.

"Really? I never noticed!" Ron snapped back, his ears turning red with anger.

Narcissa glared at her son's former classmate, but kept her mouth shut.

"We cannot guarantee the safety of your son, even if you are telling the truth and he winds up coming to the Order. If he and the Potters do find their way back I will have to speak to the Minister for Magic about dropping the charges against him…and even then…no one is safe from…Voldemort…" McGonagall shuddered slightly at the name but pressed on, "The kidnapping of James and Harry Potter proves that."

"I only ask that you do what you can for him." Narcissa said.

McGonagall gave Narcissa one more, final sweeping look before nodding her head. "Do you want protection?"

Narcissa shook her head, "No, I'll meet whatever fate has planned for me; as long as my son is alright I don't really care what they do regarding me."

"Fair enough." McGonagall didn't press the subject, "Then I believe this meeting is adjourned, it is very late and we all need some sleep."

Ron immediately stormed out of the room, furious that Narcissa had successfully wrapped McGonagall around her finger. _She's lying to us! _He thought vehemently, _I won't let her get my hopes up…not after I was finally coming to accept the fact that James and Harry won't be coming back…!_

Hermione sighed and slowly followed Ron out of the room, shooting Hagrid's stooped form an encouraging smile. She wasn't sure if she could trust Narcissa Malfoy, but she was to the point of grasping at straws. _There's no harm in hoping that Harry and James are on their way back to us…alive and well. _

Soon, McGonagall, Moody and Narcissa were alone.

"I'm goin' to let the Order know about these recent…developments." Moody grumbled as he stood heavily on his wooden leg.

"Make sure this keeps quiet." McGonagall cautioned.

Moody raised an eyebrow at her, clearly saying that he wasn't exactly a newbie at this sort of thing. "I'm off, then." He muttered before plodding out of the room, his wooden leg clunking against the floor loudly.

Narcissa stood slowly. "I appreciate this…" She mumbled to the headmistress.

McGonagall simply nodded, and watched the mother slowly leave the room before sitting back down in her chair. Glancing back up at Dumbledore's portrait, she asked quietly, "So, what do you think, Albus?"

Dumbledore stared down at her, his blue eyes still sparkling even though he was, in all aspects, a painting. "I believe that we just witnessed a desperate mother trying to save her only child…I do not think she is lying, Minivera."

McGonagall sighed heavily and nodded, "I think you're right, Albus…and I think more revelations are yet to come."

Dumbledore smiled at his exhausted replacement, and watched quietly as she fell asleep at her desk, on top of the papers that were strewn all over it.

_**Next Day, The Forest **_

Harry, James and Sirius walked silently through the forest, pausing only a few times to make sure that they were headed in the right direction.

It was extremely warm, but dark clouds had started to form, blocking the sun.

The three were exhausted to say the least, but they continued to push forward, knowing that the risk of being recaptured was too great. Plus, they wanted very badly to see their friends again.

To take his mind off of the pain that was shooting through his ribs and limbs, Harry thought about what Ron, Hermione and the rest of the Weasley family were doing.

_I wonder if they gave up looking for us, _He mused silently. _They would never give up, you dolt! _Harry immediately berated himself. Knowing Hermione, she was probably holed up in a library searching for some sort of clue as to their location…Ron was probably driving people insane…

Harry smiled slightly at the thought of his friends, his pale cheeks flushing when he thought of Ginny. _I hope she's okay…_

James, meanwhile, was talking quietly to Sirius, frustrated that his friend couldn't answer him back properly.

"I can't wait for you to transform back to normal." He grumbled to his furry companion.

Sirius barked in response.

"We've made excellent progress today…I think. Malfoy said it'd take less than twenty days…but if we keep this up maybe we'll be there sooner." James continued to speak quietly, his voice hopeful. The food rations were meager, and they were all in need of medical attention.

Suddenly, a large raindrop landed on James' nose, causing him to groan. _Great, just great!_

The single raindrop was soon followed by several more, until the three were soaked to the bone in the midst of a downpour.

"We're going to get sick if we stay out here!" Harry exclaimed as he shivered.

James nodded in agreement, getting a cold was the last thing any of them needed, but he couldn't see anything that looked remotely like a shelter. "We gotta keep movin' until we find a cave."

Sirius looked between the two worriedly; he wasn't as affected by the cold rain, thanks to his fur. Suddenly, he froze when he heard running footsteps.

James and Harry watched Sirius tense, glancing at each other uneasily.

"Padfoot? Is someone coming?" James finally asked as he wiped the rain from his eyes.

Sirius answered by baring his pointed teeth.

"Aw shit…" James swore.

"We should start running…" Harry said as he quickened his pace, "Sirius, lead us away from them."

The three began to run through the brush, but they didn't get very far when someone suddenly burst through a clump of trees, stopping directly in front of them.

The three halted as panic stepped in, the thought of getting recaptured sending bolts of fear through each of them.

The single figure turned towards them, his chest heaving as he caught his breath.

"Malfoy?" James finally asked when he recognized the young man.

Draco took the three in, his pale face flushed. His blue eyes widened at the sight of them, and he didn't even seem to notice the long cut on his cheek.

"Malfoy? What the hell are you doing?" James demanded, wondering why the teen looked so panicked.

"Death eaters…run!" Draco panted, before tearing through the brush again.

James and Harry hesitated for only half a second before following Draco.

Sirius streaked past both of them, looking over his shoulder to make sure that they were keeping up.

The three caught up with Draco, and James panted, "How close, and how many?"

"Too close, and two…maybe three…I think I saw Pettigrew, and Avery…" Draco replied breathlessly.

"We can't outrun them." Harry finally gasped; he could feel himself slowing down.

"He's right…" James agreed, annoyed at his body for not working the way he wanted it do work, "We might be able to take three of them…if we come from behind…"

The four continued to run as they thought up a strategy.

"Okay, we'll double round, hide behind the trees and jump them from behind…but we gotta make this quick, if they even get off one spell, You-Know-Who will be here in no time." Draco warned.

The four quickly separated, Harry with Draco, and James with Sirius. They hid behind some larger trees and waited with baited breath for their hunters.

It wasn't long before three dark figures burst into the clearing. It was hard to discern who they were through the heavy rain, but the short one was definitely Peter Pettigrew.

Sirius wasted no time in darting forward, he pounced on the tallest figure, a death eater that had a recognizable face but no name, and took him to the ground efficiently.

The other three quickly followed, and James went straight for Wormtail.

Harry copied his father and also pounced at the short man, whilst Draco tackled Avery to the ground.

The seven scuffled on the mud covered forest floor, the good guys desperately trying to wrestle the wands away from the surprised death eaters.

James punched his former friend in the face, his adrenalin fueling his fury for the stout man.

Draco was the only one having trouble with his opponent.

Avery was much larger than the slight teen, and he was able to easily grab Draco by his throat and lift him helplessly into the air.

Harry turned away from Wormtail (who had finally been knocked unconscious) and James, and frowned when he say how poorly Draco was doing against his opponent.

Holding his ribs, which had begun to burn painfully again, Harry sprinted towards Avery and Draco.

Draco felt himself thrown to the ground painfully as he gasped for air.

Avery quickly retrieved his wand from the muddy ground and pointed it at the pale teenager.

Draco groaned when he realized the compromising situation he had gotten himself into, _guess this is it. _

Avery had just opened his mouth to shout out a curse, when someone collided into him, causing his knotty looking wand to skid across the ground.

Draco watched in quiet surprise as Harry tackled Avery, the both of them landing in a large puddle of mud. Scrambling to his feet, he quickly ran over to the fighting pair and helped Harry subdue the death eater.

The two fell backwards once Avery was unconscious, both of them exhausted.

Draco didn't ask why Harry had helped him, but he muttered, "Thanks…" as he glanced at him.

Harry simply shrugged his shoulders in response.

"You guys alright?" James called.

"I think so." Harry answered his dad as he wiped at his forehead. A bruise was already forming across his cheekbone, and he was shivering from the cold again.

The four looked at the three unconscious death eaters quietly, before Draco said croakily as he massaged his sore neck, "We should move."

James looked over at him and said, "How'd you manage to get away when we split up?"

Draco smiled slightly, "I have my ways."

"So…in other words, you ran like hell." Harry grumbled.

Shrugging his shoulders, Draco replied, "Maybe."

The four had begun to walk quickly away from the clearing (James slightly hesitant, he wanted to literally kill Peter, but there was no time for that), and Harry found himself constantly shooting suspicious looks at Draco.

"We should walk for as long as we can, and look for shelter along the way." James stated.

Harry didn't answer James, but instead found his thoughts dwelling on his former classmate.

_Is he really on our side now? _

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**_

Hermione sat with Ron on the main staircase quietly. He had refused to talk to anyone last night, and she had just finally managed to get him on his own this evening.

Ron didn't even glance at her as he stared at his hands.

"Ron…she might be lying…but she might be telling the truth." Hermione spoke softly.

Ron shook his head angrily, "She _is _lying, Hermione. Malfoy and Snape both _hate _Harry! Why would Snape get himself killed, and Malfoy put his life in danger, to help Harry and James?"

Shrugging helplessly, Hermione answered, "Maybe there is more to Malfoy than meets the eye…and Snape…Snape _has_ saved Harry's life before."

"He killed Dumbledore!" Ron snarled.

"We didn't know the circumstances…" Hermione started, but was interrupted.

"Harry saw Snape kill Dumbledore with his own eyes!"

Hermione shook her head in frustration, "Ron, I'm not saying that I don't believe what Harry saw, but Snape and Dumbledore might've had an agreement about what they would do if Snape's spy career was jeopardized."

Ron chose not to reply to this, but snorted disbelievingly.

"Ron, you need to be more optimistic about this. What's the harm in believing that Harry and James are still alive? Is it your pride? Are you afraid to believe that Draco Malfoy may be on our side?" Hermione asked curiously.

Rubbing at his watering eyes, Ron whispered as he shook his head, "This has nothing to do with pride, Hermione. I just…I can't let myself believe this only to find out in a few weeks that they're dead…"

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat, and let her forehead fall against Ron's.

The two sat together in silence as they stared at each other, both remembering the funny, sad and happy times they had had together with their best friend.

Tears slipped unnoticed down their cheeks as they fell into the memories from happier days, and both of them felt themselves wishing more than ever that Narcissa Malfoy was telling the truth.

_Come back to us, Harry._

**TBC

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**

_Liked it? Loved it? Hated it?_

_Let me know. Oh, and just wanted to let you guys know that this story as surpassed 40, 000 hits, has 118 alerts, is on 14 C2s and 83 people have it on their favorites list...and its all thanks to all you wonderful people...sooo THANK YOU! You guys make my day :)_

_Ashley¤_


	22. A Vision and a Fever

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: Enjoy!!

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_

**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 21- A Vision and a Fever **

The group of four traveled wearily through the woods the following day. The freezing rain had been replaced with the hot sun, which blazed uncomfortably down their necks.

As grateful as they were that the rain had stopped that morning, they almost wished its return by noon when they found themselves sweating uncomfortably.

They had not found any decent form of shelter, and had decided to continue walking for as long as possible, taking extremely short breaks every few miles.

If anyone had come by the group, they would've found the people in it to be very odd, that is, if they didn't know the predicament the wizards were in. Both Harry and James were leaning heavily upon the other, their matted hair hung in front of their faces, and the ratty sweaters they wore hung off of their slim, starved frames.

Sirius continued to walk ahead of them, still in his bear like dog form. His tongue hung from his mouth as he continued to limp ahead, his eyes and ears alert for any danger that may be nearby.

As for Draco, the young man walked as far away from Harry as he possibly could, but still stayed within seeing and hearing distance. His hair, though not as wild as the Potters, still had twigs and leaves sticking out of it from when he had fled from his former allies. His face was as pale as a sheet, and his eyes kept flashing from Harry (who kept shooting him furious looks) to the deadly looking animagus. It was almost as if he was wondering which one would attack him first.

After several hours of tense silence, which was only filled by the crunching of twigs and their rattled breaths as they walked, they decided to take another short break.

James settled himself on a slanted rock, and started to rifle through the supply bag.

Harry groaned as he gently lowered his injured body to the ground, and he sighed with relief when he finally was able to lean himself up against a tree.

Draco sat down hesitantly, copying Harry as he leaned his back up against the trunk of a massive tree.

Sirius sat by his best friend, and watched with interest as the man looked in the bag.

After several minutes, James pulled out a small water bottle, and a little bit of food. Breaking the bread into meager portions, he handed some to Harry and Sirius, before turning to Draco. "Here." He said shortly as he held out the food.

Draco stared at him awkwardly before shaking his head, "No, I'm okay…keep it for yourselves."

James frowned at the mumbled reply and tossed the bread at the teen's feet. "I'm not taking it back, either you eat it, or it goes to waste…or worse yet, the death eaters find it and stumble onto our trail."

Draco started to protest, but was cut of by Harry, "Don't was your time, dad…if he wants to starve then let him."

James ignored his son and continued to stare at Draco, who finally sighed, picked up the bread and nibbled on it.

After a little while longer, the weary travelers got to their feet and began to walk again.

"So, Malfoy…why'd you help us?" James finally asked bluntly, the curiosity was driving him insane.

Harry looked sharply at Draco, and remained quiet as he waited for an answer.

Draco shifted uncomfortably, and twisted his fingers (a habit he had picked up from his mother, no doubt). "Ermmm…"

"Well?" Harry prompted, his green eyes narrowed.

Draco finally shrugged and gave a loose answer, hoping that it would satisfy the three, "I needed to do what I thought was right."

Harry snorted, "And it took you...how long to figure out that Voldemort's side was the WRONG one to be on?"

"Shut-up, Potter. You have no idea what I've been through." Draco snarled back, _thank god the animagus can't talk right now, I'd go insane!_

"Ohh…I'm sorry, Malfoy…didn't mean to be so insensitive." Harry said, sarcasm dripping off of every word.

"Bitter, aren't we Potter?" Draco's exhaustion, stress and pounding headache was thinning out his patience very quickly. _I don't need this crap right now!_

"Well, you know, one tends to become slightly bitter when they've been locked up in a dank dungeon for six months, not to mention tortured…" Harry hissed.

"Save me from the pity party…would you please?" Draco tossed back as he flicked a piece of hair out of his eyes. _Probably shouldn't have said that…_

James gripped Harry's arm tightly. "Don't Harry, now isn't the time." He lectured quietly as his weakened son made to lunge at the other teenager.

Harry growled furiously, "I don't want your pity, Malfoy. I only want to know why you suddenly switched sides, and I want a decent answer, that's all." _I don't want anyone's pity!_

"I did what I thought was right." Draco repeated stubbornly.

"How do we know that you aren't just putting on some show, hu'h? I mean, your best buddy Snape managed to trick everyone for years." Harry retorted.

"Don't talk about him." Draco said quietly.

"I'll talk about him all I want, that slimy git killed Dumbledore, the bastard deserves to die." Harry continued, meaning every word.

James nodded his head in silent agreement, and was surprised when Sirius didn't second Harry's opinion.

Draco felt something inside of himself snap, and he yelled back furiously, "_Don't_ talk about him like that! He's practically the one responsible forgetting you guys out of there!" He pointed behind his shoulder violently before continuing, "He got that _mutt_ free, and it cost him his life!"

Harry quirked an eyebrow at Draco's outburst. "What are you talking about, Malfoy?"

Draco breathed in deeply as he attempted to calm down, "Snape died for you three, have a little respect."

"You're lying." Harry said bluntly. _No way, no way in hell…Snape murdered Dumbledore in cold blood…_

"You know what? Believe whatever the hell you want, I don't care what you think." Draco said bitterly.

Harry looked at his father, who looked as dumbstruck as himself. "Dad?" He questioned, wondering what he thought.

James shrugged his shoulders helplessly, "I went to school with him, and he was a snivelling snake ."

Draco growled under his breath, "Stupid Potters, stupid Gryffindor pride…"

"Black!" He suddenly said loudly, "Did Severus Snape not set you free?"

Harry and James both looked at the dog, who lowered his head, obviously not wanting to say that Snape had helped him, but not willing to lie either.

Harry sighed heavily; _I don't know what to believe anymore…_ "If Snape was on our side, why'd he kill Dumbledore?" He demanded.

"Snape didn't tell me much, but I know he made an unbreakable vow with my mum _and _with Dumbledore." Draco replied.

James frowned at this new piece of information, "Do you know what he swore to them?"

"I don't know what he swore to Dumbledore, but he hinted that it had something to do with You-Know-Who…and yeah, I know what my mom asked him to promise, but I'd rather not talk about it." Draco said shortly.

Before Harry or James could press him for details, Harry suddenly cried out in pain and clutched his forehead.

Draco froze in bewilderment, and watched as James frantically called out his son's name.

Sirius barked anxiously as Harry trembled violently on the spot, still clutching his scar in agony.

"Harry, what is it?" James asked urgently, gripping the younger mans shoulders tightly.

_Huh, I guess his scar really does hurt him sometimes, _Draco mused as he continued to watch his three companions. He had never believed that Harry's scar had hurt him before; he hadn't been lying when he said that it was probably just Potters way of getting more attention. _Well, there goes that theory…I really was an idiot at Hogwarts…_

Harry moaned, and broke away from his fathers grasp as his scar continued to sear. _God…my head is going to spit in two!_ He thought as he gasped for air, _I don't think it's ever been this bad before…_

"Harry! What's wrong?!" James demanded.

"Vol-Voldemort…" Harry grounded out before collapsing onto his knees. His vision blurred so badly that all he could make out was the outline of James, Draco and Sirius before darkness finally took him.

"Harry?" James said uncertainly as he knelt beside his unconscious form. "Harry…c'mon, Harry, talk to me!"

Draco walked over slowly, "Is he okay?"

James took a few minutes to check his son over before replying, "His pulse seems to be alright…I…I think he's okay considering the circumstances."

"We should find some shelter." Draco stated.

James nodded, and with some difficulty, managed to lift his son upwards. After positioning Harry more comfortably, he began to walk forward slowly. "There's got be some sort of shelter around here…"

Draco nodded his head awkwardly. "Yeah…" He mumbled in agreement, wincing as the sun pierced his eyes. _I don't feel so hot right now…must just be the exhaustion, _he thought to himself as he rubbed his temples.

Twenty minutes passed before the group found a decent place to rest. James set Harry down gently and watched as his son twitched in his unconscious state. "Wake-up Harry, please…" He said softly.

Sirius whined and lay down as close to Harry as possible. _I wish I could talk to him!_ The godfather thought, incredibly frustrated. _The sooner I get to transform the better._

Draco sat down and quietly watched as Harry trembled on the grass. _I swear to god Potter, if you aren't okay I'm going to kill you myself! I didn't help you escape and risk my neck just so that you could give up now!_

James punched the soft ground in anger and helplessness. "I'm sorry son; I don't know how to help you…" He whispered sadly.

Harry continued to squirm and gasp on the ground, in the throes of a terrible vision…

_Harry shuddered as he took in his surroundings. He was back in that god forsaken castle, staring with wide eyes at Voldemort and some of his servants._

_Oh man, Harry thought, not another vision! I need to gain control of my mind barriers quickly...I can't risk him finding out our location through my thoughts!_

_Sighing, Harry stayed in the shadows and hoped that Voldemort didn't sense his presence. I guess I should listen and find out if they are any closer to recapturing us…_

_Leaning up against a wall, Harry forced his rapidly beating heart to slow as he observed the scene before him._

_Voldemort was furious. _

_It had been far too long since his prisoners had escaped, and he had just received word that three of his death eaters had been knocked unconscious and left in the forest._

_He stood towering over the three imbeciles, who had been brought back to the castle by another group of death eaters. _

"_Explain to me, Avery…how is it that three injured, wandless and starved prisoners were able to overwhelm you?"_

"_Milord, Draco Malfoy was also with them…" Avery squeaked piteously. _

_Lucius, who currently stood beside the dark lord, visibly tensed at Avery's claim. _

"_I am NOT looking for excuses!" Voldemort spat, "All three of you will be punished for your idiocy!"_

_The three men cowered, Wormtail looking the most terrified of the all. _

"_Remove them from my sight!" Voldemort said, pointing one of his long fingers towards the door, "I will deal with them later."_

_Soon, the room was empty save Voldemort, Lucius, and of course, Harry. _

"_Lucius, your wife has betrayed us." Voldemort suddenly said._

"_What?" Lucius whispered._

"_I stationed someone at your estate after you informed her of your son's betrayal. She left not long after you, and went to straight to Hogwarts; she asked to speak to Headmistress Minivera McGonagall."_

_Lucius swallowed, "What will become of her?"_

"_You warned her that she would be killed if she betrayed us, did you not?" Voldemort questioned._

"_Yes."_

"_She knew the penalty, and it is that which she shall receive." Voldemort answered bluntly._

"_Shall I bring her here?" Lucius asked, his voice devoid of emotion._

"_No, you will put all of your energy into recovering our lost 'guests' and your traitorous son." _

"_As you wish, Milord." Lucius said with a respectful bow. _

_I can't believe he's willing to give up his entire family for Voldemort! Harry thought from the shadows, I guess Malfoy really is helping us…and now…and now his mum is going to be killed…_

_Harry was surprised when he suddenly realized that he felt sad for Draco Malfoy. Never thought I'd see the day where I'd feel bad for Draco, he mused quietly. _

_Suddenly, the dark room became darker, and the room began to spin before Harry's eyes._

_He knew what was happening…he was regaining consciousness…_

James was startled out of his light doze by Harry, who was clearly fighting to wake-up.

"Potter?" Draco spoke quietly from his corner, while Sirius whined with worry.

Harry groaned as his eyes flitted open. He squinted as his hand found his glasses.

"Welcome back." James said with a relieved grin.

"Hey..." Harry muttered as he made to sit up. He swayed slightly as he experienced a sudden head rush, and was only steadied when his father shot out a hand to support him.

"Shouldn't move so fast, Potter." Draco stated, a hint of sarcasm tingeing his words.

Harry glanced at the blond haired man, but bit back the snide response that teetered on his tongue.

"Harry, was it another vision?" James asked urgently.

Nodding his head, Harry replied, "Yeah I think so…Voldemort was mad at Avery, Wormtail and some other death eater…you know, the ones that we managed to knock out."

"Anything else?" James pressed.

Harry hesitated, _should I tell them about Draco's mother? _"Uh, no not really…they aren't any closer to finding us, Voldemort was pretty mad about that…"

His three companions seemed satisfied with his answer, for which Harry was relieved. _Telling Malfoy would just distract and worry him, I don't even know for sure if it was actually a vision…I'll wait to say anything. _He justified to himself, _its not like we can help his mum anyways…_

"It's been hours since we started moving again, we should get going." James spoke after a few minutes silence.

Sirius sprang to his feet in agreement.

"You ready to go, Potter?" Draco questioned.

Harry was surprised by the concern in his former enemy's eyes, and it took him a minute to mumble, "Yeah, I'm good, let's go."

_**Two Days Later**_

Draco was feeling increasingly worse over the next couple of days, but he kept it from his companions. The last thing he needed was for them to see him as a burden, which he inevitably would be if they knew he was ill.

The two days had passed without incident, Harry had had no more visions, and they had no more run-ins with any death eaters or dark creatures.

They had made much more progress than Draco had ever anticipated, and for that he was glad. _At this rate we'll be at the school in less than a week, _he estimated.

Harry and James were walking slightly behind Draco and Sirius, and both of them noticed how the blond teen was stumbling as he walked.

"Dad, there's something wrong with him…" Harry mumbled quietly.

James nodded his head in agreement, "You think he's sick? He's been coughing a lot and sweating…"

Before Harry could answer, Draco fell to his knees.

"Great…" Draco groaned as a violent cough racked his frame. He fell on all fours as he tried to stifle the coughs, but they were too intense. _They're going to leave me…they're going to leave me…_

"Malfoy!" Harry said sharply as he stumbled forward. He fell down beside his former classmate and gripped one of his shoulders, "Malfoy, are you okay?!"

"Please…don't…leave…me…" Draco croaked out between coughs.

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"Please…" Draco whimpered before his fever took hold and he collapsed into Harry.

"Crap…he's burning up…Sirius, find us a stream…we need to cool him down." Harry said quickly.

The massive dog took off through the brush quickly, his paws pounding into the grass almost soundlessly.

"Damnit Malfoy, why didn't you tell us you were sick?" Harry cursed as he felt the young mans forehead.

James knelt down beside the two and frowned at how pale Draco was. _He looks as bad as us, _he thought, _and that's saying something…_

"Wake-up Draco!" Harry demanded, not even realizing that he had called the man by his first name instead of his last.

James however, did notice. "You seem to have warmed up to him considerably the past few days, Harry. What gives?"

"Huh?" Harry asked distractedly, "Oh…well…I guess I just realized that he really is trying to help us…and everyone deserves another chance, right?"

"What made you believe that he was on our side? You were pretty skeptical until after your vision of Voldemort."

Harry completely avoided answering his fathers question; he was still not willing to reveal everything about the vision. "We need to help him." He said shortly as he looked down a Draco.

James didn't press his son further. _There's something he's not telling me…_

Sirius suddenly came back through the brush, barking as he wagged his tail. He had found a stream to use.

"C'mon, we gotta try and carry him." Harry said.

It took father and son nearly twenty minutes to carry Draco through the thick brush, but they were rewarded by a small, clear stream.

Panting, the two set Draco down before collapsing down beside his unconscious form.

Harry quickly struggled back to his feet and dampened the only article of clothing that he felt he could spare…one of his socks. After trying to clean it, he wrung out the water so that it was damp, and staggered back over to his dad and Draco.

He placed the sock on Draco's burning forehead while James tried to make a small fire.

For four hours, the three sat around Draco, periodically dampening his forehead and making sure that he was comfortable.

Sadly, nothing seemed to be working. "He's just getting worse!" Harry exclaimed bitterly after Draco let out a low moan.

"Yeah…" James sighed as he dampened Draco's forehead again.

"We need to use the healing potion on him, dad." Harry finally determined.

"You sure, Harry? There's only enough for one dose…once it's gone…that's it…" James asked carefully.

Harry nodded, "Yes I'm sure. Nothing else is working; he'll probably die if we don't give it to him. His fever is way too high…"

"Alright." James agreed as he turned to the supply pack.

It took the both of them ten minutes to force the red liquid down Draco's throat.

"Guess now all we can do is wait and see how he responds, hopefully we didn't wait too long to give it to him." James sighed.

Harry nodded and absentmindedly patted Sirius' mangy fur.

The Potters and Sirius sat around Draco in silence and waited for the teens fever to break.

**TBC

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_Hmmm, well did you like this chapter? Let me know!! This one was a little bit longer than usual : ) (9 pages instead of 8!)_


	23. Stuck With You

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: Changed to _**T**_…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Updated Summary: **__**Harry and James may have escaped Voldemorts dungeons, but their journey to safety is FAR from over as they struggle to evade death eaters and other elements the dark forest throws at them...will they make it to Hogwarts?**_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: I have a couple of things to tell all of you! First off, thanks for all of the reviews, I'm hoping to reach 500 before the end of this story, that's a bit high, but I have high goals ha-ha! Secondly, I was reading through my earlier chapters and cringed at the spelling and __especially__ the grammatical errors! O.o Just want to let all of you know that when I am finished writing this fiction I will be going through and fixing as much as possible!_

_Lastly takes deep breath…I GOT MY LAPTOP!!! This should mean faster updates...I hope! Heheh…now…on with the chapter!!_

**Oh, and the 'humerous' bone is mentioned in this chapter…in case any of you were wondering, that is the bone that goes from your shoulder to your elbow (I may have misspelled it but that is what its called-good old exercise science class!)

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**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 22- Stuck With You**

Draco continued to squirm on the ground long throughout the night. By the time his fever finally broke, it was nearly daybreak and his three companions were exhausted.

Harry was the first to realize that Draco's temperature had gone down, and he sighed heavily with relief. "Wake-up, Draco…" He mumbled under this breath.

"I think he's going to be fine now, he's looking a lot better. I guess the healing potion is working." James said after feeling the teen's forehead himself.

Harry nodded, and Sirius thumped his tail on the ground in response.

"We should try and get some sleep ourselves." James said with a slight yawn.

Harry closed his eyes in agreement and soon found himself dozing lightly. It was several hours later when he woke up, startled out of his sleep by a stirring Draco. Sliding over closer to his former classmate, he waited in silence for him to awaken.

Draco groaned as he finally regained consciousness. _What the hell happened? _He wondered as he rubbed his head. He was surprised to find his forehead cold and clammy and his eyelids heavy.

Straining, Draco managed to force his eyes open as he remembered what had happened, and he squinted until the blurry head of Harry Potter came into focus. _Wait…he didn't leave me? _He thought, astounded, _why would they stay with me? I must've slowed them down…_

"Draco? You with me now?" Harry asked as he leant towards him.

"Harry?" Draco rasped, his throat dry.

Harry quickly grabbed one of the water bottles and offered it to the confused Draco.

Draco sipped on the water after Harry helped him sit up, at the same time, both James and Sirius awoke.

After wetting his throat, Draco turned to Harry and said, "You didn't leave me…?"

Harry frowned and replied, "Why would we leave you? I could never leave someone behind like that."

"We aren't like Voldemort and his lot, Draco. No one gets left behind." James added sleepily.

Draco was still slightly baffled. _They don't even like me; I could understand if it was one of their friends…_Deciding against pressing the matter, he said instead, "How long was I out for?"

"All night…I'm guessing about ten hours or so." Harry answered as he passed his fellow teen some bread.

"We're behind then, you guys should have left me behind…this gives the death eaters some time to catch up." Draco sighed.

"We weren't about to leave you lying in the middle of the forest unconscious with a fever, come of it, Draco." Harry said exasperatedly.

"Didn't even cross our minds." James said, "So stop worrying about it…you alright to start moving again?"

Draco nodded and stood up slowly, slightly unsteady. "Yeah, I'm good to go."

"You sure?" Harry pressed.

"Yes." Draco assured the dark haired teen, "I'm fine."

"If you say so." Harry said with a shrug. _Ron would have a fit if he found out about all of this Draco Malfoy business!_

Sirius sprang up from his makeshift bed of leaves and began to walk away from their resting place.

"Let's get a move on then." James said as he eradicated any signs of the fire they had made during the night.

_**Four Days Later**_

The group of four was exhausted as they continued their trek through the dark forest. They rarely spoke, as they were more concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

The past two days had been rainy and humid, which hadn't exactly worked wonders for Draco, who was still recovering from his fever. He continued to cough, and his face had become paler than even he had thought possible. However, he was still fairing better then his companions.

Sirius was showing more signs of how injured he truly was. The black dog no longer trotted ahead of the group with his ears perked; instead he fell into step with Harry and James, with his tongue hanging from his mouth as he panted. The wound by his hind leg had been hurting more, causing his limp to become worse.

James could feel himself weakening with every step. It seemed that the malnutrition and physical exertion were finally winning out against his adrenalin. The thought of Hogwarts was pretty much the only thing that kept him going.

Harry however, was in the roughest shape. He had become so weak that he had to constantly lean on James in order to walk, and when he breathed it sounded more like he was gasping for air, thanks to his broken ribs. He could feel himself getting sicker, the rainy weather obviously to blame. His body was so starved and injured; that it could not battle off the rainy elements…his immune system was too weak.

It was taking a lot of will power for Harry to keep going. To ease the aches in his body, he attempted to think about all of his friends and Hogwarts. He smiled slightly at the thought of Ginny in his arms…at Hermione yelling at him for doing something dangerous…at Ron clapping him on the back with a stupid grin on his face…

"Harry, you alright?" Draco asked tiredly.

Startled out of his daydream, Harry replied, "Yeah…I'm fine…" _It's so weird being on a first name basis with Draco Malfoy…of ALL people! _

The group continued to travel as the sun began to set, and halted only when they came to the edge of a cliff.

James looked over the muddy ledge and groaned, "Great, we're going to have to find a way down this thing."

Harry nodded glumly as he looked downwards. It was a good twenty foot drop onto the muddy ground below.

"Maybe we should rest for a bit and regroup." Draco suggested.

"Best idea you've had all day." James said with a small smile.

Harry eased himself away from his father and sat down on a thick log by the cliffs ledge. He was so exhausted that he didn't even notice the ground beneath the log shift with his weight.

James sat down a little ways away from Harry and closed his eyes tiredly. Sirius sat beside him, but his ears perked when he heard the subtle sounds of the soft ground shifting beneath his godson.

Sirius barked out a warning, but was too far away to be of any real help.

Harry gave the animagus an odd look, but before he could figure out what he was trying to say, he found out on his own.

The ground beneath the black haired teen had given out beneath his weight, and the soft earth began to crumble with Harry on top of it.

"HARRY, GET OUT OF THERE!" James screamed in horror as he and Sirius leapt towards him.

Draco, who was still standing and closest to Harry, jumped towards him. "Harry!" He yelled as he flung out his hand, not even thinking about his own safety.

The two teens managed to grab hold of each others hands, but it was futile in the end. Both Harry and Draco felt themselves falling over the cliff along with the large log that Harry had been sitting on.

Harry felt all the breath in his lungs leave him as he saw the ground rushing towards him. He soon felt his body slam into the muddy earth, and was aware of a sharp pain in his arm before blackness claimed him.

Draco hit the ground seconds after Harry, but somehow managed to stay conscious, pinned under the large log, but conscious nonetheless. _Could life get any worse? _He thought dazedly as he lay there.

_**Meanwhile, Atop the Cliff…**_

"NOOO!" James howled as he watched his only son disappear from view, along with Draco.

Dropping to his stomach, Jams spread out his weight and eased himself over to the edge of the cliff. He stuck his head out and looked downwards, screaming his sons name whilst Sirius barked himself hoarse in the background.

"HARRY, DRACO?!! ANSWER ME!" James hollered desperately as he viewed the two still forms below him.

"Mr. Potter?" Draco called up breathlessly.

James breathed a small sigh of relief and yelled back, "Are you two alright?"

"Uhmmm, we're both pinned to the ground by this stupid log. I can't move my legs an inch, and Harry looks unconscious…I can see his chest moving though…" Draco replied through gritted teeth.

"Can you reach him to make sure he's okay?" He asked. _I can't believe that they survived that fall…thank Merlin they did…_

Draco shook his head said, "No, he's too far away…but I think his arm may be broken, it's bent pretty badly…"

"Okay…okay…listen Draco, Sirius and I are going to find a way down…will you two be alright?" James asked as he tried to regain his composure.

"Yeah…just…just try and make it quick okay? This log is pretty damn heavy…" Draco shouted upwards.

"Hang in there!" James said before disappearing from the teens view.

"Padfoot, we have got to find the quickest way down there…" James said to his best friend.

Sirius needed no more prompting; he grabbed the supply bag between his teeth and began to search for a safe route down the cliff.

James, visibly shaking, followed his best friend through the woods and prayed that the two teens were okay.

_**Meanwhile…**_

Draco took slow, steady breaths as he tried to regain his bearings. "Guess I should just be grateful that we're alive…muddy ground must've broken our fall somewhat." He muttered out loud.

Propping himself upwards on his elbows, Draco squirmed uncomfortably. His legs were pinned awkwardly beneath the log, but they really weren't in very much pain. _Am I paralyzed? _He thought worriedly, _maybe its just shock… or lack of blood circulation…_

"The sooner Potter and Black get down here the better…" Draco grumbled as he tried to calm his thumping heart.

Harry suddenly groaned and stirred from where he lay.

"Harry? Harry you awake?" Draco immediately asked.

"Y-yeah…" Harry mumbled as he returned to the world of consciousness. _Oh man…my arm! _"Wh…what the hell happened?" He finally asked as his good hand searched for his glasses.

"We fell off of a cliff and we're pinned beneath a dead tree." Draco answered bluntly as his companion stuck his glasses (which surprisingly had not broken) back onto his face.

"I'm actually starting to get use to this crap happening to me; really nothing comes as a surprise anymore." Harry joked weakly.

Draco laughed slightly and said, "Your dad and Black are on their way down to get this log off of us."

Harry smiled a little and replied, "Bet we scared the hell out of them."

"Your dad was screaming down here like crazy." Draco smirked. _Wish my own father would worry for me like that…_

Harry tried to mimic Draco by propping himself up on his elbows, but screamed in pain as he fell backwards. _Right, forgot about the arm…it went numb for a minute there…_

"Your arm is broken, are you trying to make it worse?!" Draco yelled sharply, giving his former enemy an angry glare.

Ignoring Draco, Harry looked down at his arm and nearly retched at the sight. The sleeve of his sweater had torn off, giving him a clear view of his left arm. His humerous was definitely broken; the part where it connected to the shoulder was not in its normal place. Instead, he could see a sharp part of the bone attempting to poke through the side of his shoulder.

_Oh, that's just gross…_Harry thought disgustingly. "It's pretty bad…" He mumbled.

Draco nodded, worry in his eyes. "Just keep talking to me, don't let yourself go into shock."

Harry pressed the back of his head into the cool mud and closed his eyes before answering, "Alright…well…we need something to talk about then…"

"Uhh…" Draco said awkwardly, he wasn't very good at making small talk.

"Well, what do you want to do after you graduate?" Harry asked, his eyes still closed.

"What?" Draco questioned stupidly.

"You know…when we are done Hogwarts…what do you want to do for a living?"

"Uhmm…" Draco blinked; no one had ever asked him such a question before, save his mother of course. "Well…I'm not really sure; I think I want to get into something that deals with potions…" He finally answered.

Harry laughed softly, "I'd never be able to work with potions…to many bad memories in that area."

"Well, what do you want to do then?" Draco questioned, he wanted to steer the topic of conversation away from their potions class at Hogwarts. _Last thing I need is another argument about Snape. _

"I wanted to be a professional quidditch player in fourth year." Harry said with a smirk.

"Haha, you a professional quidditch player? That'll be the day!" Draco laughed jokingly.

"But I actually want to be an auror." Harry continued, "I started to seriously consider it by fifth year."

Draco couldn't help but snort before saying, "Never saw that one coming."

"Yeah well, that's what I want to do."

"Well, to be honest I think you'd make a good one." Draco said quietly.

Harry opened his eyes and strained his neck to look over at the blond man, "You think?"

Draco shrugged, "Well, you withstood the wrath of dozens of death eaters for six months and didn't reveal anything that would betray the Order of the Phoenix…and you do have that hero complex. Not mention that stupid Gryffindor bravery."

Harry smiled and closed his eyes again, "Well you were pretty brave and selfless earlier today, were you not? I mean, you grabbed for my hand when I fell, and you ended up coming down with me."

Draco shrugged and said, "If I had of known I was going to fall to, I never would've reached out for you."

"Uh huh, whatever you say." Harry replied, clearly believing that the young man was lying through his teeth.

Deciding against arguing, Draco said instead, "So, how long do you think it'll take your dad and Black to get down here?"

"I dunno…hopefully not long…it's going to get dark and cold soon…and my legs are falling asleep from being stuck under this damn log for so long."

"Yeah, mine too." Draco sighed.

The two continued to make small talk for the next half an hour or so.

Finally, Harry asked something that had been bugging him for a long time, "Draco…what made you want to join Voldemort in the first place?"

Draco was silent for quite a while, unsure if he wanted to answer the question. He was surprised therefore, when he opened his mouth to answer truthfully, "I needed my fathers love." _Holy crap, I did NOT just tell, of all people, HARRY POTTER about my need for my father's affection!_

"What?" Harry questioned, dumbfounded by this answer.

Sighing, Draco shrugged his shoulders, "My dad was never really proud of any of the things I did in life…if I did manage to accomplish something he would still find a flaw in _how_ I did it. I could never get him to respect or love me…I thought that if I followed in his footsteps and became a death eater that he'd finally give me the respect I've always wanted."

"He always seemed proud of you when I saw you guys at the school or in Diagon Alley." Harry said carefully, not wanting to reveal what he had seen in his vision with Voldemort.

Draco laughed bitterly, "That was just a front to keep up the 'Malfoy' name. My mom pretty much plays the role of both mother and father…sure my dad would buy me something if I asked for it, but he was never really there for me."

Harry swallowed uncomfortably at the mention of Narcissa Malfoy.

"Anyways…" Draco continued, "I decided that I couldn't be a death eater…it just…it was just _wrong_…I don't understand how he and the other death eaters could do the things they do…and besides…it's much too late to earn my fathers respect now…he was probably ordered to kill me anyways."

Harry was caught off guard by this last statement, "You don't seem too upset by that."

Draco shrugged, "His allegiance is to the dark lord."

"So was yours, but you changed sides." Harry argued.

"No, mine wasn't. I don't bear the dark mark on my arm…I was supposed to be burned with it at the end of the summer to signify the end of my initiation. Snape was one of the few who truly turned against You-Know-Who." Draco explained.

Harry didn't say anything after Draco's explanation, the throbbing in his arm was getting worse and it was making him feel sick.

Draco, who although didn't have the best view of the black haired teen, could tell that Harry was in more pain than he was letting on. Hoping to get his companions mind off of the pain, he said, "Oh, and Potter? Tell anyone about this and _you'll_ be the once bouncing down the great hall in the form of a ferret."

Harry laughed through his gasps of pain at the memory. "That...i-is som-something I'll never f-forget!"

Draco smiled, but inwardly he was worried about Harry's deteriorating condition. _He is starting to slur his words…that can't be a good sign. _"How you holding up?" He finally asked.

"Fine...y-you?" Harry answered, his voice slightly distant.

"I'm good, but you need to keep talking to me okay? Your dad should be here soon and then we can get this hunk of wood off of us." Draco said as he shivered slightly. The sun had almost disappeared behind the trees.

"Yeah…o-kay…" Harry agreed.

The two continued to talk about meaningless stuff that they had gone through growing up. Nearly another hour had passed and Harry was starting to lose his battle to stay awake. _Hurry up you guys...its freezing!_

Draco was also struggling to stay conscious, his own injuries becoming more pronounced the longer he lay there. _We're going to lose our legs if that damn father of his doesn't get his ass down here and get this stupid log off of us! _He thought grumpily as he continued to shiver.

As if reading their thoughts, James and Sirius suddenly burst through the trees, both of them hobbling as fast as possible towards the pair.

**TBC

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_I think Draco might have been a little out of character…but that's the beauty of it being AU! Let me know what you thought of this, I'm dying to know! (Be honest too! Haha)_

_Also, I have the next chapter written- I will post it based on the amount of reviews this chapter gets! (Obviously more means a happy me which mean a faster postie!) Haha, I can't believe that I actually have the next chapter ready to post...this laptop is doing wonders for me:D_


	24. So Close

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: Changed to _**T**_…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Updated Summary: **__**Harry and James may have escaped Voldemort's dungeons, but their journey to safety is FAR from over as they struggle to evade death eaters and other elements the dark forest throws at them...will they make it to Hogwarts?**_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Note: __First off, all I can say is WOW! 40 reviews for ONE chapter?! I was in shock…still am, actually! THANK YOU ALL x100!!! You guys are awesome, you make me so happy! I can only hope that I get that many reviews for this chapter too! I shouldn't even be posting this yet, I've had zero time to work on my next chapter...and I wanted to have it completed before posting this one...but after all those reviews I just couldn't leave you guys hanging!_

___Here it is..._

_...FORTY:D_

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**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 23- So Close**

As if reading their thoughts, James and Sirius suddenly burst through the trees, both of them hobbling as fast as possible towards the pair.

"Harry! Draco!" James shouted as he stumbled towards the teens, his hair full of leaves and twigs and his face flushed from running.

"About time!" Draco called back, his voice weak with exhaustion.

"We moved as fast as we could without breaking our necks." James replied breathlessly as he halted by the two. "Harry? Son, are you aright?" He quickly asked as he knelt down beside the dark haired man.

"My arm…is pretty m-messed up." Harry answered truthfully, knowing it would be futile to try and hide such an injury.

James inspected the arm and paled considerably at the look of it.

"Maybe the healing potion will lessen the pain?" Draco suggested.

Neither James nor Harry acknowledged Draco's suggestion; they had not told the man that they had used the potion on _him_.

"I'm sure it'll be fine…but the sooner we g-get to Hogwarts the b-better." Harry assured his father weakly.

James nodded and said, "Let's just get this log off of you guys first, alright?"

"Good idea, my legs are numb!" Draco whined.

Harry nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I'm s-starting to ache from b-being stuck in…this position for s-so long."

James needed no more prompting; he quickly grabbed the log and attempted to roll it off of the pair. "Damn, it's too heavy!" He cursed, frustrated at his own weakness.

"I'll push as much as I can." Draco said through gritted teeth as he propped himself back into a semi-sitting position.

Sirius quickly circled around the hunk of wood and lowered his head, obviously intending to push the log with his forehead.

"I'll…help, t-too." Harry mumbled.

"Don't you dare, Harry! You'll just make that arm worse." James scolded immediately.

Harry had no strength to argue, so he simply nodded his head and closed his eyes. "If you three can't get it off of us yourselves, then I'm going to help though."

James didn't reply, but said instead, "Alright, on the count of three, you two push and I'll pull."

Sirius barked, and Draco said tensely, "Ready when you are."

"One…two…three!" James cried.

Grunts and growling could be heard as the three threw their weight into the piece of tree.

Both Draco and Harry groaned in pain as the log shifted uncomfortably on their legs.

Finally, after three minutes of solid heaving, the log rolled off of the pair. James jumped out of the way as the log rolled down the slight hill, coming to a rest a few feet away.

Draco immediately tried to rise to his feet, but he fell back on his butt the moment he tried. "Stupid legs!" He cursed angrily.

"Take is easy for a moment, Draco. Your legs need to get some blood flow." James reprimanded the blond teen. "Let me take a look at them…you might've broken something."

Draco frowned but stayed where he was.

James squatted beside him, but turned to Harry and said, "You better not move either. Stay where you are."

Harry rolled his eyes but smiled all the same, "I swear…I won't…move a-a muscle."

"Good." James replied before turning back to his current patient.

Draco winced slightly as James probed his legs. "That kinda hurts."

James nodded, "It will, your muscles are sensitive right now. I think your left ankle is sprained, it looks pretty swollen. I'm going to take your shoe off and wrap it up for you."

Draco clenched his jaw as James set to work. _Damn that hurts! _He thought to himself as he continually winced. He let out a breath of relief when James finally sat back, his task completed.

"I think you might've cracked a rib or two as well, let me know if it gets any harder for you to breath." James added.

Draco nodded; he had also suspected some bruised ribs, his breathing had become much more difficult after the fall.

"Padfoot…can you find him a stick to lean against while I look after Harry? He needs to stay off of that foot as much as possible."

Sirius nodded and took off through the brush.

"Just stay where you are, Draco. I still don't want you to stand up for a little while." James commanded before walking over to Harry, who still lay on his back with his eyes closed.

"Harry? You awake?" James asked gently.

Harry cracked an eye open and nodded.

James smiled and quickly began to feel his son's legs for any injuries. "I think your legs got away relatively unscathed, son." He finally said.

Harry laughed painfully, "Well, that's…a good t-thing."

Nodding his head in obvious agreement, James prodded Harry's ribcage and frowned, "I think you might've broken some ribs."

"Yeah…they…w-were still healing…f-from Volde-mort…" Harry groaned.

"There isn't much I can do about those…" James sighed, "But let me know the moment you feel any worse, okay? Oh…and don't move too fast…the last thing we need is one of them puncturing a lung."

"That…w-would suck…" Harry said, hissing in pain when his father's hands traveled to his most gruesome looking injury…his arm.

"I don't know how to treat this…" James mumbled, frustrated.

"Can't you just re-set it?" Draco asked.

"I don't know…I might make it worse…" James responded.

"Just leave it then…" Harry said through clenched teeth.

"I think I might have to." James said with a sigh just as Sirius limped through the brush, a large stick in his mouth.

"We…should s-start moving…again." Harry said as his father helped him sit up.

"You should take the healing potion first, it might lessen the pain." Draco suggested again.

"…can't" Harry mumbled, "it's gone…"

"What? When did we use it?!" Draco demanded to know.

James sighed, "We used it on _you_, Draco."

"WHAT! WHY?!"

"You're f-fever…it kept rising…y-you were getting w-worse…" Harry explained quietly.

"I can't believe you guys wasted it on me!" Draco said furiously.

"It wasn't a waste." James said sharply, "You matter just as much as any of us. If it wasn't for you we'd still be holed up in that castle."

Harry nodded, "Enough of t-this…lets…move…"

James hesitated, "I don't know…maybe we should rest for the rest of tonight…it's been one hell of a day."

"The death eaters…" Harry began, but was cut off by Draco;

"I agree with Mr. Potter. Let's just build a fire and get a few hours sleep. If the death eaters are even on our trail I doubt they'd think we made it down that cliff within a few hours…if we hadn't of fallen it would've taken us at least a day to get down it safely."

"He's right Harry. Sirius and I almost killed ourselves getting down it within those few hours." James added.

Harry sighed, but mumbled, "Alright…b-but as soon as w-we wake up…"

"We'll get moving." James assured him.

Harry nodded and lay back down; he closed his eyes and fell into a restless sleep almost immediately.

Draco helped James build a small fire in silence, before both of them sat opposite of each other.

"So, where'd you learn how to treat injuries and stuff?" Draco asked curiously.

"It was part of my auror training...had to learn a lot about survival techniques." James answered.

Draco nodded, "Oh..."

"Thank you." James suddenly spoke into the darkness.

Draco shrugged, knowing that James was referring to Harry, "He needed to get some sleep…he's looking pretty bad. Besides…I wasn't lying, the death eaters won't catch up to us if we sleep for the night."

James smiled sadly, "We really do need to get to the school soon, _all_ of us are looking pretty bad."

_Yeah, but Harry's looking the worst, _Draco thought silently as he stared at the pale teen, _he really needs to see a healer. I just hope we make it to Hogwarts in time. _

"Oh, and Draco?"

Draco looked up.

"Stop calling me Mr. Potter. James will do." James said with the smallest of grins.

Draco smiled ruefully and nodded. "Whatever you say…James."

"Lets get some shut eye…we need it just as much as Harry. I'll take the first watch." James said after a few minutes silence.

Draco didn't bother to argue with the older Potter, instead he lay down close to the fire and let himself drift off to sleep after mumbling, "I'll go next…make sure you wake me up…"

Sirius curled up as close to Harry as possible, but did not shut his eyes. The large dog looked at Harry worriedly before setting his gaze upon James.

James sighed as he prodded the meager fire with a stick, "We _really_ need to get to Hogwarts, Padfoot."

Sirius whined in agreement before setting his head upon his paws. _I know Prongs…I know…_

_**Three Days Later**_

Three days had soon come and gone, and the group of four was clearly on the verge of collapse.

Draco was coughing nonstop, his chest felt congested and it was extremely difficult to breath. He was almost positive that he had developed pneumonia, a muggle illness he had often heard about. His constant coughing also caused his cracked ribs to ache painfully. Luckily, his sprained ankle had healed somewhat and he could walk on it without the aid of the stick.

Harry could no longer walk on his own at all, in fact, it took all he could to just stay conscious. Since James was now too weak to support him, he leant heavily upon Draco's shoulder, using his good arm to grip his fellow teen around his neck.

His broken arm hung uselessly at his side, it had swollen and turned a sickening shade of yellow. Why it had gone yellow he neither knew nor cared. Harry had recently felt no pain from the arm, so he simply assumed that it had become numb.

His ribs however, were a different matter. They burned painfully with every clumsy step he took; it almost felt like his entire chest was on fire. Harry's breathing had also become worse; it sounded more like short, rattled gasps than actual breaths.

Within the past few hours alone his vision had started to become spotty. _Just one more step, just one more step, just one more step…_Harry encouraged himself silently.

James was also getting worse. He had secretively been giving all of the food and most of the water rations to his three companions, all of whom were too exhausted to realize it. The lack of nourishment had resulted in him becoming even weaker than he already was, and he could feel himself on the verge of passing out on many occasions.

Sirius walked in step with his best friend, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted heavily. His tail hung limply and his ears were flat to his head. The animagus hardly even noticed the fact that he was no longer listening for enemies.

All four of them knew that if the death eaters or any dark creature found them- they'd be helpless. There was just no way that any of them would be able to fight.

The four continued to walk in silence, all of them lost in their own thoughts. The sun had come out again, and they were all grateful from the reprieve of gloomy rain. Its rays shone through the tall trees and bathed them all in its warmth.

After another few hours of painful silence, Draco suddenly noticed how much heavier Harry had become. "Harry?" He mumbled.

James and Sirius paused and looked at Harry as well.

Draco gently laid the teen on the ground and frowned worriedly, "He must have passed out."

Sirius whined worriedly, and James knelt down to check his only sons breathing and pulse. "His pulse is weak, and his breathing is sounding a lot worse…he needs a healer, _now_." He voice had a desperate edge to it.

"We should almost be there." Draco said quietly.

"I don't think he's going to last more than a few hours…" James voice trembled as he spoke, "C'mon, we need to keep going."

Draco answered him by pulling Harry's limp frame upwards. With James' help, he managed to get the starved teen on his back in a piggyback style.

The three were so concerned with Harry for those few moments, that they didn't see the shimmering light of a unicorn as it walked by ahead of them, until it was too late.

None of them really realized how close they _really_ were to reaching Hogwarts grounds.

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**_

"So, you two are good with watching the north side for a little while?" Tonks asked Ron and Hermione.

"It's no problem, you go and get some sleep…we'll keep watch." Hermione assured the older woman.

"You sure?" Tonks pressed, she definitely needed the sleep, and she also wanted to see how Remus was doing. He had returned back from yet another expedition with some of Voldemort's werewolves, and she was curious to know if he had heard anything that would make Narcissa Malfoy's story more believable.

"We've kept watch before, don't worry about us. Besides, there are plenty of aurors here if something happens." Ron answered.

"Alright…I'll be back soon…" Tonks said hesitantly before walking away with a small wave.

The two watched her retreating back until she was completely out of sight.

Ron stretched out on the grass as he played with his wand. "Paranoid, that one is…" He mumbled.

"Yeah well, she's lost Sirius, James and Harry to Voldemort…" Hermione said defensively, "I doubt she's looking to lose more friends."

_We're on Hogwarts grounds! _Ron wanted to argue back, but he bit his tongue. He wasn't in the mood to fight with Hermione right now.

Suddenly, a white owl soared above their heads and flew into the distance.

"I guess she's out looking for Harry again." Hermione said with a sad sigh. Hedwig had been gone for weeks at a time, obviously searching for her master.

"Wish Pig was as smart as her." Ron said half heartedly.

The two stared out at the forbidden forest in silence, lost in their own individual thoughts

_**Elsewhere…**_

"Did you see that?" James suddenly broke the silence, his voice high with excitement.

"See what?" Draco asked grumpily.

"I swear I just saw a unicorn."

"Probably just your imagination…" Draco grumbled, "And what would it matter if you did?"

James quirked an eyebrow and replied, "There wouldn't be unicorns around an evil forest, they are good natured animals. We might be near…or even in…the forbidden forest."

"The forbidden forest is pretty evil." Draco said, shuddering at the memories of when he had been in the dark forest before.

"Well, the forbidden forest isn't as bad as the one around Voldemort's place…try and be a little more optimistic would you?" James replied irratibly.

Draco went through another violent coughing spell at that point, and was unable to shoot a sarcastic reply back.

The three continued walking, stumbling over small roots as they went.

Suddenly, the trees started to thin around them, and Sirius began to whine as he sniffed the air.

"Padfoot?" James questioned, his heart racing. _Are we close? Or is there danger nearby?_

Sirius began to walk as fast as his injures would allow him, and James and Draco both tried desperately to keep up with him.

Suddenly, they could see an ending to the trees, and when Draco squinted he could see only lush green grass and the outline of a small house beyond them.

"I think…" James stuttered, "I think…I think we might've made it!"

Sirius seemed to have believed so, for he suddenly froze and transformed back into a man. He looked back at his three companions and said hoarsely, "It's Hogwarts, Prongs…I could tell by the smell…its Hogwarts…"

James, momentarily shocked at his best friend's sudden transformation, nodded and hurried forward, with Draco and Harry close behind him.

Quite suddenly, the four flew through the heavy vines and trees, and found themselves less than 10 meters away from Hagrid's cabin.

The small group collapsed to the ground in utter relief, both James and Sirius passing out immediately, their adrenalin completely spent and their injuries intensifying in pain.

Draco was the only one semi-conscious, and when he looked at Harry, he quickly realized that the dark haired teen was no longer breathing. Immediately, he started CPR. "We made it Harry! Don't die…don't die!" He cried as he alternated between breathing for Harry and gently pumping his thin chest, trying to be mindful of the broken ribs.

Suddenly, there were hands pulling him off of Harry. Draco moaned as he fell to the side, a wave of extreme dizziness passing through him. The last thing he remembered was blurry shapes surrounding him as he collapsed to the ground and promptly passed out.

* * *

_They are finally back…but will they have made it in time? Or are their injuries to far gone to treat? The drama isn't over yet... ;) _

_xO_

_sUnKiSsT_

_ps...FORTY?! I might just make my 500 review goal!_


	25. Home At Last

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: Changed to _**T**_…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Updated Summary: **__**Harry and James may have escaped Voldemort's dungeons, but their journey to safety is FAR from over as they struggle to evade death eaters and other elements the dark forest throws at them...will they make it to Hogwarts?**_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: This chapter was a toughie to write. I know what I wanted to do for it, but the emotions and whatnot were hard to get down into words. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!_

_Special Note: Okay, is there anyone reading this that is a fan of the Fantastic 4? I wrote a one-shot story (Johnny centric) but I'm afraid to post it because I've only seen each movie once and I don't want my characters to be way OOC. Is there anyone here that would be up to reading it? (I haven't fully finished it yet but it will be completed very soon). _

* * *

**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 24- Home Again **

Hermione ran a hand through her hair, her eyes slightly unfocused as she continued to stare in one direction. Blinking slowly, she glanced over at Ron, who was still picking at the grass.

"You okay?" She asked him quietly.

Ron nodded his head silently.

"You sure?" Hermione pressed, obviously not fooled.

"I'm _fine_ Hermione." He replied grumpily, his knuckles white from clutching a handful of grass in his hand.

Hermione sighed sadly. "Well, I'm not." She finally said quietly.

Ron turned towards her, his face now etched with concern. "Sorry for snapping…" He mumbled softly, "I'm just…it's been real rough these past few months, you know?"

"Yeah, I know Ron…it's been incredibly hard."

"Not even just for me and you either. Like Ginny…she rarely comes out of her room anymore, and Lupin…he hasn't smiled once since they were taken. My mum…she's a nervous wreck…you've seen how she's been lately…" Ron continued sadly.

"It…it's just hard to deal with…Harry and James were a big part of everyone's lives…" Hermione sighed.

Ron looked at her sharply, "They _are_ Hermione…they…they can't be dead!"

"I didn't mean to refer to them in past tense, Ron…" Hermione immediately defended herself, "I do believe that Narcissa was telling us the truth."

_I hope you're right. _Ron thought silently. _I've got my hopes back up again thanks to that woman. Harry, if you're listening, you better get your ass back home right now! You'd better not disappoint me. _

"Ron." Hermione said sharply.

Sighing, the freckled face teen looked over at her, "Yeah?"

"Look up. Hedwig turned around." Hermione answered, pointing towards the tops of the forbidden forest's dark trees.

Sure enough, the snowy white owl had cart wheeled around, and was flying in the direction of Hagrid's cabin.

"What do you think she's up to?" Ron mused; his eyes squinted against the bright sun.

Before Hermione could answer his question, the invisible barriers that had been put around the school's grounds were broken. The two were alerted by this when red sparks suddenly shot up into the air.

"Someone has walked through the barrier!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

_Red sparks, that means it's a wizard or witch…_

Ron also sprang to his feet. The sparks were color coded, red for humans, green for wild animals, black for dementors and so forth. "Do you think its Voldemort?" He asked his girlfriend tensely, "You don't think he's attacking the school already?"

Hermione certainly hoped that that wasn't the case. "Let's just get down there and see what's going on, maybe Hagrid went into the forbidden forest and forgot to deactivate the barrier before stepping back through."

Ron nodded, and quickly released his patronus before running in the direction of the sparks. Hermione followed behind him, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that his patronus had gone to alert the rest of the aurors.

"Hermione…do you...do you think maybe its Harry?" Ron suddenly asked as they got closer to Hagrid's cabin.

Hermione felt her heart beat faster at the thought. _God, I hope so...I really hope so…_ "Maybe…" She said hesitantly.

The two quickly sprinted down the hill, both of them immediately noticing four dark figures that had collapsed to the ground, a mere fifteen feet away from Hagrid's front door.

Hedwig circled over the small group, screeching in an obvious attempt to get someone's attention.

Ron and Hermione stopped abruptly when they were less than twenty feet away from the four men.

Ron felt his face pale considerably, "Harry?" He whispered, taking a step forward. There was no mistaking that mop of messy black hair.

"Ron…it could be a trap…" Hermione said as she grabbed his arm, holding him back. Her face was as equally pale as her boyfriends, and she wavered slightly on the spot.

"The bloody hell it is!" Ron exclaimed, wrenching his arm out of her grasp. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, screaming loudly, "HARRY? HARRY?!"

Hermione followed behind him quickly, her stomach dropping several notches when she saw the unmistakable form of Draco Malfoy performing CPR on an unconscious Harry.

The two soon skidded to a halt, Ron immediately grabbing Draco and roughly pulling him off of Harry. "Get off of him!" He growled, not even noticing when Draco hit the ground, immediately collapsing. "Harry? C'mon Harry wake-up, it's Ron! You're safe now!"

Hermione watched Ron plead with Harry's barely recognizable form, her heart feeling as if it was going to break in two. Tears sprang into her eyes, but she held her emotions at bay and quickly began checking the others.

"R-ron…it's Sirius!" Hermione cried out, her eyes round with disbelief.

"Harry isn't breathing…oh Merlin, c'mon Harry, stay with me!" Ron yelled loudly, not at all paying attention to Hermione as he started CPR.

A group of Auror's had finally made their way to the group, and they immediately sprung into action. Two went to James, another two to Draco, and another one to Sirius.

"He's breathing again!" Ron finally cried, his voice cracking with relief just as Headmistress McGonagall made her way towards him.

The door to Hagrid's cabin suddenly burst open, and the half giant came storming out, yelling, "What ta bloody 'ell is goin' on out 'ere?!"

Fang trailed behind Hagrid, barking loudly.

Hagrid was just about to turn around and yell at the massive dog, when he finally realized what was going on. Barreling towards the expanding group of people, he let out a shocked cry when he recognized the limp form of James Potter. His beetle black eyes began to glisten with tears when he saw the limp forms of Harry, Draco and Sirius nearby.

The next few minutes were a flurry of activity. Minivera quickly took charge, and conjured up four stretchers. "Take them to Poppy immediately. Kingsely, run ahead and let her know what has happened."

The muscular man nodded and immediately began sprinting up the hill.

"Kilgee, Graham, Turner, Sawnlo…back to your posts…this school still needs to be guarded. Hermione, Ron, Hagrid…please follow me." Minivera continued, her voice shaking and her face white.

Ron and Hermione walked along with the floating stretchers, their former teacher striding ahead of them.

"H-how…how is Sirius alive?" Hermione whispered.

Ron merely shook his head and mumbled, "I think we need to worry more about _keeping_ them alive…"

Hagrid ran a hand through Harry's limp hair. "The lot of 'em look real bad…" His voice trembled as he spoke.

The group finally made their way to the hospital wing. Ron and Hermione were extremely hesitant to leave the sides of their closest friends, but Madame Pomfrey had locked all of them out of the room (minus the Headmistress) without so much as a word.

Ron felt his knees buckle as he collapsed to the ground, feeling both relief and fear coursing through him. "Oh my god Hermione, I hardly recognized them at all." He sobbed into his clenched fists.

Hermione sat beside him. "They are back…that's what matters…everything is going to be fine…" Her voice shook as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

Ron suddenly lurched to his feet and punched the wall. "What did that BASTARD do to them?!" He screamed furiously.

Hermione rose slowly and squeezed the redhead's shoulder comfortingly. "I don't know…I…don't know…" She answered glumly.

Ron turned towards her and pulled her into a deep hug. "They better be okay…if they die…I was just beginning to accept the fact that they weren't coming back…if they don't survive…it's going to be ten times harder getting over it…they came so far…" He rambled, his face buried in Hermione's hair.

"They'll make it." Hagrid said confidently.

Both Hermione and Ron tried to smile at his confidence, but neither managed much more than a half grin.

"They will!" Hagrid insisted, "Harry is the strongest person I know…if anyone can make it through this…it's him…and James, well, Harry had ter get his stubbornness from someone, righ'?"

Before either of the two could answer, the doors to the hospital wing flew open, and a grim faced Minivera emerged.

The three barraged her with questions, none of them pausing for a breath.

"Are they going to be okay?"

"Can we see them?"

"Are they awake?"

Minivera held up her hand in an attempt to silence them. "They are all in very bad condition."

"Are they going to survive?" Hermione finally asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer she would receive.

"All four of them are going to be transported to St. Mungo's. Madame Pomfrey has managed to stabilize them, but it is now out of her hands. I will send an Auror down here to escort all of you to St. Mungo's…" Minivera replied with a deep sigh.

"We can't see them now?" Ron demanded impatiently.

"No, Mr. Weasley…you cannot. I will be sending another member of the Order to Grimmuald place to inform your mother and father, they will meet you at the hospital. Now, if you will excuse me…"

Minivera walked swiftly away from the trio, obviously intent on getting to her duties.

The three watched as she disappeared down the hall. None of them spoke afterwards, all of them deeply immersed in their own thoughts.

_**St. Mungo's**_

Ron and Hermione soon found themselves sitting in the emergency ward of St. Mungo's hospital, both of them watching an anxious Hagrid pace back and forth.

The three had been escorted to the private waiting room only fifteen minutes before, the noise from outside muffled by the closed door.

Hermione was furiously wiping away her tears with her hand, trying in vain to prevent herself from becoming hysterical.

Ron still had his hands clenched tightly into fists, and he attempted to think only positive thoughts. _Harry will be okay, James will be okay, Sirius will be okay, Malfoy…well…whatever…Harry will be okay, James will be ok-_

The young man was snapped out of his thoughts when the door was flung open, and a group of people, along with the noise in the hall, flooded into the room.

The door was quickly snapped shut again, and Ron found himself looking at his mother, father, little sister, Tonks and Remus.

Molly immediately ran to her son and pulled him into the biggest hug she could muster. "Moody…Moody came and told us…oh my god….they're alive!" She rambled between sobs.

Ginny, who was shaking uncontrollably, was led to one of the seats by her father.

Hermione immediately wrapped an arm around the younger girl and the two attempted to calm each other down.

Remus sunk into the nearest available chair and turned his weary face to Ron, who had just broken free of his mothers deathly hug. "Sirius…I was told that he…"

"He's alive." Hermione finished, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ron nodded his head in confirmation.

"Merlin…and…Harry? James?"

"They didn't look too good…but they're alive." Ron answered, trying to keep his voice steady.

Remus rubbed his temples and mumbled, "I heard through the werewolves that Draco Malfoy really did help the Potters escape…that there had been a chase through the forest surrounding Voldemort's hideaway…I was on my way to report back to the Order when Minivera found me…"

"Are they going to be okay?" Ginny squeaked from her chair.

"'Course they are!" Hagrid reassured her quickly.

Ginny smiled weakly and fell silent, staring at her lap, lost in thought.

The group continued to talk quietly, speculating on how Sirius had survived his fall through that mysterious veil, as well as bringing up some more cheerful memories.

No one brought up Draco Malfoy, or his role in rescuing the Potters and Sirius.

Nearly an hour had passed when Minivera finally walked into the room. She shut the door quickly and faced the small cluster of people, her face lined with obvious stress and worry.

"Has there been any news?" Arthur immediately asked, holding his wife's hand tightly.

"The healers are still working on them." She answered quietly, "They will inform us of their condition as soon as possible. I do have news however, regarding another matter…"

"What matter?" Tonks asked from her corner of the room.

Minivera sighed heavily and said, "Narcissa Malfoy is dead. Her body was found along the border of Hogesmeade…a victim of torture and the killing curse."

Remus swore loudly.

"Oh my god." Hermione whimpered, her hands covering her mouth in horror.

"This is too much for one day…" Molly whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"So…all Malfoy has left is his father." Ron stated.

Remus however, shook his head in disagreement, "His father is out to kill him, remember what Narcissa told us? He has no one…"

"So…I guess he really is on our side then?" Hermione mused, "There's no way that this is just a cover."

Minivera sighed, "I do believe Draco Malfoy has switched sides, but the Ministry must be dealt with…"

"Have you told them anything yet?" Arthur asked.

"No, but somehow the public already knows that the Potter's have been found. There are reporters crowded in the front lobby of this hospital, I must go and speak with the Minister at once, and see if I can stop them from arresting Mr. Malfoy."

"You should do that then…we'll contact you the moment we know anything." Arthur replied.

Minivera nodded curtly, "I will be back as soon as possible. Oh, and if Mr. Malfoy wakes up before I get back, please do not tell him about his mother- I'd rather that left to me." With that, the headmistress left the room, shutting the door behind her.

The room fell into silence once again, broken nearly an hour later by Ron;

"This has been one helluva day…" He now fully believed that Malfoy had switched sides, but that didn't mean he had to _like _the guy.

"I just hope they're all alright…what's taking those healers so long?" Ginny whispered.

As if waiting for someone to say just that, the door suddenly opened and a healer stepped into the room.

The older wizard took the group in with his penetrating gaze.

Shaking once again, Hermione cut through the sudden silence and asked, "How are they?"

* * *

_Whew, alright there is it…I still hate the way it turned out, and hate even more that it took me so long to finally post it- but I just can't make it any better for some reason (maybe because its mostly dialogue? lol) . _

_I am sorry that it took me so long to give you guys this chapter, and I hope you like it better than I do, lol._

_Xo_

_Ashley _

_Ps. Last chapter got 55 reviews, that's a new record guys! Thank you so much!_


	26. Reunion

_Title: To Rise Again_

_Rating: K+…just to be safe!_

_Author: Ashley Graham_

_**Full Summary: Harry believes himself to be very alone, with Albus Dumbledore and Sirius dead, but all this changes when nothing short of a miracle happens. James Potter never died that Halloween night (you'll see why), and he's going to protect his son as he attempts to vanquish the dark lord once and for all, even if he goes back to the grave doing it. **_

_Category: Action/Adventure/Angst_

_Author Note: Helloooo everyone! blinks innocently Yep, so here's the next chapter! It's been a while…I know! I've been busy! I swear! Honestly, I'm moving into a new house August 17__th__, and then on the 30__th__ I move into my college residence, I've been packing like crazy…not to mention working my butt off! (Plus…Deathly Hallows…gasps I can't believe its all over- please don't leave me now guys!)_

* * *

**To Rise Again**

**Chapter 25- Reunion **

"As you all are well aware, I am only supposed to release patient information to immediate family members," The healer began, holding up his hand when everyone in the room bristled and opened their mouths, "BUT, in light of the situation, the hospital has agreed to ignore these rules."

"Well then?" Ron prompted impatiently when the wizard did not continue to speak.

The healer let out a small sigh, weaving his wand through his fingers as he began to speak, "They are all in very rough shape, but I can tell you for sure that Misters Potter and Black are going to be okay."

"Which Potter?" Ron asked quickly, his hand tightening around Hermione's.

"James," The healer answered, "he is suffering from severe malnutrition and exhaustion. He also has numerous injuries all over his body- but most of them have already partially healed themselves. His nose was also broken and healed improperly on its own- we have fixed it up but there will still be a slight crook. We are feeding him several different potions to help treat the malnutrition. I am _astounded_ that Mr. Potter is as well off as he is…considering what rumors have been floating around about You-Know-Who…"

"So he's going to be okay?" Remus interrupted impatiently.

"Well, yes- I mean…physically he will make a full recovery. However, we will have no idea how his mind has been affected by this…ordeal, until he has regained consciousness. We discovered lingering signs of the torture curse…" He replied cautiously. The healer allowed this information to sink in before continuing to speak,

"Now, as for Mister Sirius Black…he suffered much of the same injuries as James Potter…malnutrition, signs of both past and recent abuse...we found abrasions and deep bruises all over his body. There is also a very deep gash across his left thigh. We've sealed the wound and are administering both blood replenishing potions and again, a potion to treat his malnutrition."

Remus hugged Tonks tightly, his arms shaking violently. _They're both alive…BOTH of them…Merlin's beard…_

Molly broke Remus out of his thoughts, "What of Draco Malfoy?" she asked quietly, while she was desperate for news on Harry, she was fairly sure that no one else in the room had given much thought to the blond teenager.

"Draco Malfoy is violently ill, very much more so than Mister Potter or Black," The healer answered bluntly, "He has developed an internal muggle illness which is not treatable by magic."

"Which illness?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"It's called pneumonia; his lungs are filling up with fluid, which in turn is making it very difficult for him to breath. We are familiar with the muggle illness and its treatments, and are working on healing him." He explained calmly.

"But…how…" Hermione mused.

"Pneumonia can be caused by numerous things…such as bacteria infecting the lungs, fungi, parasites…take your pick," The doctor continued, "I don't know what the boy went though, or where he was…but he managed to contract the sickness."

"Anything else?" Arthur asked.

"Apart from the pneumonia…he was banged up pretty good and is slightly malnourished, but nothing that is too serious. I am extremely confident that we will be able to clear up the infection in his lungs, although it may take a couple of weeks."

"And Harry? Is Harry okay?" Ginny spoke up, desperation glistening in her eyes.

"Harry Potter is a very, _very_ sick man," The healer spoke hesitatingly, "I and those that continue to work on him are clueless as to how he has managed to survive this long."

Nobody in the room made a sound, save Hagrid, who let out a small whimper, none of them trusting themselves to speak. The group stared at the healer and waited for him to continue, their faces pleading for some good news.

"I assure you…we are doing everything in our power to save the Boy-Who-Lived…" The wizard said awkwardly. "He is malnourished, dehydrated, has several deep cuts littering his body, there are definite signs that the torture curse was used on him…and more than once or twice…his left arm was broken very badly, as were numerous ribs. One of his ribs just recently punctured his right lung…there are some healers working on repairing the lung as we speak."

"You…you can't use magic?" Ron finally found his voice.

The healer shook his head, "Sadly not. Mister Potter is much too weak to cast spells on at this time…it would only put further strain on his body."

"When will you know if he's going to be okay?" Ginny asked quite steadily.

"The next couple of days will be the most critical; of course we won't know for sure until he regains consciousness."

"When can we see them?" Molly asked, wringing her hands and ignoring the tears that were streaming down her cheeks.

"James Potter and Sirius Black have been settled in a room just down the hall; Draco Malfoy is in the room across from them. You are more than welcome to sit with them, as long as all of you are quiet. When Harry Potter is out of surgery, he will be placed in the same room as Mr. Malfoy. All four of them have been given a light sleeping potion, they may wake up- but the potion combined with their expected exhaustion will set them off to sleep again fairly quickly."

Ron's face wrinkled in annoyance, not at all pleased with the fact that Harry was in the same room as Draco and not his father.

The healer had caught the look and said quietly, "We have placed the two more serious patients together to keep a better eye on them. We are supposed to place the more critically ill patients on the fifth floor, but under the circumstances…with all the media this will be getting…"

"It's fine." Hermione said quickly, grabbing Ron's elbow as she went to stand.

Still slightly annoyed, Ron allowed Hermione to pull him to his feet.

"Please follow me." The exhausted healer directed them out into the hall. They soon came to a halt beside a closed door.

"Potter and Black are in here," The healer motioned to the door on his left before pointing at the other door and saying, "Malfoy is in there. As soon as Harry Potter is brought out of surgery he will be taken to his room immediately."

There was a great surge of movement towards the left door. Only Molly seemed to hesitate before saying quietly, "I'll be there in a minute, Arthur." The thought of any young man sick and alone, with no mother or father there for comfort was more than she could bear…no matter whom the person was.

Looking over his shoulder, Arthur nodded to his wife, knowing that she could not help her motherly instincts. He sent her a gentle smile before following Ron into James and Sirius's room.

Molly watched them go before turning around and entering Draco's room. She moved to his bed silently, making as little noise as possible as she sat down beside him. "Draco Malfoy…" She whispered quietly to his unconscious form, "I don't know what you've been through, or what made you switch sides…but I am extremely grateful for what you've done, the sacrifices you've made…"

Draco stirred beneath the blankets, but did not waken. His pale face was twisted with pain as he broke out into wet coughs.

Molly felt her heart break in two for the young man. _He has no one left…no family to care for him…to love him…_she thought sadly. She moved her hand to his clammy forehead and pushed back his tangled hair, like his own mother would've done.

"I'll be here for you, if you'll let me." Molly said with a small smile, wondering vaguely if Draco had changed his views on her family. _I hope so; he's going to need someone to be there for him._

_**Across The Hall**_

Remus had entered the room first, and he knees nearly buckled from underneath him when he saw his two best friends. He moved on wobbly legs to the closest bed, and found himself staring down at Sirius, Tonks and Ginny beside him.

"Sirius," He whispered, "I…I thought you were dead…how did you survive?" Remus nearly expected his friend to pop open his eyes and answer him, but Sirius remained limp and pale in his bed.

Ron and Hermione had both ran to James bed, and looked at his sunken face with horror. They had not truly been able to get a good view of the man back at Hogwarts, due to the frantic activity.

Arthur stood behind them, and squeezed his sons shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry you two; he's going to be okay. He'll be back to himself in no time…"

Hagrid nodded his head in agreement; his eyes still red with tears.

"If…if James is this bad…what's Harry going to look like?" Ron whispered, completely ignoring his father and Hagrid. _Will they ever be the same? _

Hermione simply shook her head and grabbed James' hand. "Don't worry, James…you're going to be okay…you need to wake up now…" She said gently to the limp form, "Sirius is right here…you are both safe in the hospital."

"Let's sit down with them." Tonks said quietly, using her wand to produce more chairs.

Hagrid refused politely before excusing himself from the room, leaving its remaining occupants with the strong suspicion that the half giant was off to expel his worry in private.

Arthur, Ron and Hermione both sat down heavily beside James, whilst Tonks and Remus held vigil by Sirius. Molly entered the room soon after, and after she had been to both beds, she went back to Draco's room, not having the heart to leave the teenager by himself.

"We should've looked harder." Ron suddenly spoke bitterly.

"Ron…we did everything that we could…" Hermione whispered, but there was regret in her eyes as well.

Ron shook his head violently, causing his red hair to fly around his face. "No. We didn't. We could have looked harder…we might've been able to prevent this!"

"Let's just be grateful that they survived, that they are here with us…" Arthur said as he rubbed his temples.

There were murmurs of agreement before the room fell into silence.

An hour had soon passed by, the occupants of James and Sirius' room only stirring to use the restroom or to visit Molly and Draco across the hall. Fred and George soon arrived, Hagrid shuffling in behind them, large tear tracks on his cheeks.

The twins cracked no jokes, and their usual smiles faded when they heard of how ill their friends were.

"They'll be okay." Fred said confidently.

"The still haven't brought Harry down from surgery." Ron answered dully.

Frowning, Fred and George said simultaneously, "Harry is tough, he'll make it."

"They're right, Ron. Harry is the strongest person we know. If anyone can pull through this…it's him." Hermione said softly.

Before Ron could reply, there was a commotion outside the hall. The group looked at each other, curious looks on their faces. They were on the verge of checking out what was going on when Molly flung the door open, her voice breathless as she spoke, "They've just brought Harry back from surgery."

Everyone in the room immediately jumped to their feet and hurried towards the door. The healers were just walking out of Harry and Draco's room when they were nearly trampled by the large group. "Whoa!" One of them exclaimed, "You really shouldn't all go in there at once."

"Once we've seen Harry, some of us will leave for a bit." Arthur said, not even stopping as he walked through the door, leaving the miffed healer in his wake.

The group of ten all gathered around Harry's bed, finally looking at the teenager for the first time in over half a year. The young man was just as bad off as the healer had said, he was pale…almost waxy looking. A thin sheet of sweat covered his forehead, his arm was in a sling, he was extremely thin and they could hear his struggled gasps for breath.

"Oh…_Harry_…" Hermione said sadly, her hand tightening around Ron's.

Ginny immediately grabbed for one of Harry's hands, and forced her tears back. _I won't cry, I won't cry! _

Hagrid felt fresh tears rolling down his cheeks once again, as he looked down at his young friend. Too many times had he seen Harry unconscious in a hospital bed, although never had he been in such a serious condition.

Everyone stared down at Harry for at least another 10 minutes, before Molly whispered, "Some of us should go back to Sirius and James…"

Arthur nodded, and ushered more than half of the people out of the room, knowing that Ron and Hermione, being the closest to Harry, deserved some time alone with their best friend. Ginny looked back at the three before hesitatingly leaving the room.

Ron and Hermione hardly noticed the large group leave. The two sat beside Harry and continued to watch him breath in silence.

Ron was the first to speak up, "How many times does this make it, then?"

Hermione sighed, and mumbled, "First time was after the fight with Quirrell. Then it was when Dobby broke his arm…"

Ron let out a forced laugh. "Amazing that he didn't end up in the hospital wing after the fight with the basilisk, isn't it?" He said, the Chamber of Secrets was something that he would _never_ forget. _I nearly lost Hermione, Harry and Ginny due that bloody snake. _

"The next time he visited Madame Pomfrey was after he fell from his broomstick…" Hermione added, shuddering at the memory.

"Then it was the dementors, and then the dragon…and…and then after the maze…" Ron trailed off. When he and Hermione had been in the stands, when Harry had portkeyed back with Cedric's dead body…well, neither of them had been more scared for their friend. For one heart stopping moment they had thought Harry was dead as well.

Before either of them could mention another time that Harry had ended up in the hospital wing, the two heard a soft groan coming from behind them. Turning around, they watched in surprise as Draco Malfoy slowly opened his bleary eyes.

Hermione immediately jumped out of her seat and was at Draco's side. Ron however, kept his feet firmly planted where they were, although he couldn't help but watch curiously as the blond man woke up.

Draco let out another groan, and blinked slowly as the room came into focus. _Where am I? What happened? _He mused, the last thing he remembered was carrying Harry through the forest…and then there was nothing. _Ugh, I feel like complete shit. _

"Malfoy? Draco?" Hermione spoke softly, "Can you hear me? You're at St. Mungo's right now…"

_Is that Granger? _Draco thought, turning his head towards the voice. Sure enough, Hermione Granger's face swam into his line of vision. _They found us…_He frowned as he tried to remember. They had been in the forest…something about a unicorn…and the half giants hut…Harry…Harry hadn't been breathing…

Hermione jumped backwards in surprise when Draco suddenly shot up into a seated position. Coughing madly, he managed to choke out, "The others! Where are they?!"

"Calm down, Malfoy! You are very ill!" Hermione said a little crossly, "They are here as well, you are all safe."

Draco allowed Hermione to push him back down, his coughing easing as his head met the pillow. "Harry…he wasn't breathing…" He said hoarsely, a gleam of panic in his eyes.

Hermione and Ron exchanged surprised looks. Since when did Draco Malfoy call Harry anything but by his last name?

"Harry is alright, Malfoy. He's in the bed next to you." Hermione replied, moving out of his line of vision so that he could clearly see Harry in his bed.

"The other two?" Draco pressed. _Please let them be alright…_

Ron answered for Hermione, although his voice was a little stiff, "Both okay, and in the room across the hall."

Draco nodded his head, satisfied with this answer. He could feel himself drifting back of to sleep as he asked softly, "Where's my mum? Does she know where I am?"

Ron sighed and looked at Hermione, genuine pity in his eyes.

"Go to sleep, Draco," Hermione ignored the question, speaking in a soothing voice, "You need to rest."

_No! Where is my mum? _Draco wanted to ask again, but his body was not co-operating with him, and he soon felt himself greeting the warming embrace of darkness.

Hermione and Ron watched as Draco dropped back off into an exhausted sleep, both of them knowing that telling the teen that his mother was dead would be a very unpleasant task.

"One of us should let everyone else know that he woke up."

Ron shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Yeah I guess."

But neither of them moved, unable to leave Harry alone for even a second.

_**Across the Hall**_

Remus was the first to notice Sirius twitch. The large group had piled back into the spacious room, allowing Ron and Hermione some privacy with Harry. "Sirius? Padfoot can you hear me?" He asked eagerly, leaning forwards in his chair.

His fellow occupants all followed suit, gathering as close to the bed as possible.

"Padfoot?" Remus pressed, waving his hand in front of them mans face.

A painful sigh slipped through Sirius's lips, and he opened his dark eyes slowly. "Moony?" He voice was barely above a whisper, due to the fact that he had not used it much in over a year.

Remus' face broke out into a huge, relived smile, "Yeah, it's me. You are at the hospital, do you remember what happened?"

Sirius nodded his head slowly, wincing at the throbbing pain in his leg. His entire ordeal was still fresh in his mind, from Voldemort pulling him out of the veil, to being held prisoner, to the fight with the werewolf and his reunion with James and Harry… "Shouldn't I be in Azkaban right now?" He voiced out loud.

"You were cleared of all charges after what happened at the Ministry." Arthur answered.

"Well, that's convenient." Sirius rasped.

Molly suddenly burst into tears, wrapping Sirius in a tight hug as she cried, "I'm sorry I argued with you so much Sirius, it's so good to have you back!"

A small grin formed on his lips, and he mumbled, "I wasn't exactly innocent you know, I initiated a lot of those arguments."

Pulling away from the former convict, Molly released one more sniffle before regaining her composure. "If you _ever_ pull a stunt like that again, I will kill you myself!" She growled, "Do I make myself clear, Sirius Black?"

Sirius nodded his head sheepishly, not wanting to argue the fact that he hadn't exactly _chosen_ to get tossed through that veil. "So…where are the others?" He asked hoarsely, his insides freezing at the thought of them not surviving.

Hagrid spoke up quietly, "Malfoy n' Harry are in another room…" He had to stop abruptly as his voice broke, the image of Harry lying broken in that bed was too much for him to handle.

"They okay?" Sirius asked, fear lacing his voice.

"We think…we think so…" Arthur answered slowly, not wanting to lie to the man but unable to give him the full truth.

"And James…is he okay?" Sirius questioned Arthur desperately.

Before Arthur, or anyone for that matter could answer, a weak voice from the other bed whispered, "'m right here, Padfoot."

Everyone in the room jumped in surprise and turned around quickly. Their eyes met the sight of James Potter, who was currently struggling into a seated position. "James!" Remus exclaimed happily.

Molly bustled over quickly, and helped James sit comfortably on his bed by piling a mountain of pillows behind him. He gave her a week smile of appreciation and looked back over at his best friend.

Sirius, not to be undone, also sat up, with the help of Remus, trying not to wince when his leg was jostled. "Alight, Prongs?" He asked quietly, "Thought you were dead, you know."

"Yeah, and I thought you were dead too." James replied softly, "You alright?"

Sirius did not answer verbally, but managed a small smile and nodded his head slightly. Both of them knew that they weren't okay, and that they wouldn't be 'alright' for quite a while…not after all that had happened to them.

James looked around the room before asking worriedly, "Where is my son?" He had not heard the conversation between Sirius and Arthur until his best friend had asked whether he himself was okay.

There was small silence before Ginny finally spoke up. "He…he's in the room across the hall with Draco Malfoy…" She squeaked, "He's pretty sick…"

Feeling his stomach drop several notches, James whispered, "Is he going to be okay?" _Merlin…I can't lose him…not after we made it out…_

"We aren't sure, James," Arthur jumped in, avoiding the look Sirius was shooting him, "He was in surgery for a while, and he's unconscious right now."

"You told me two minutes before James woke up that they were both alright!" Sirius exclaimed hotly, "You lied!"

Arthur shook his head, "I said that we _think_ they are going to be alright…and we do." _Well, we hope…_

Sirius scowled, but didn't press the issue; he was just too tired to fight.

James was about to speak when the door suddenly opened quietly, and Hermione stepped into the room. Her eyes swept from Sirius to James, and she gave a squeal of delight when she realized that they were both conscious.

"Thank Merlin!" She exclaimed, scurrying to each of their beds and giving them both a kiss on the forehead. Once she had settled down, she delivered her own piece of good news, "Malfoy woke up, he was conscious for a few minutes before the sleep potion overpowered him again."

"That's great!" Molly said happily, whilst the others nodded in agreement.

"Before he fell back asleep…he asked for his mum." Hermione added, her smile fading a little.

Molly frowned and shook her head sadly. "That poor boy…" She whispered so quietly that no one else heard.

"I want to go and see my son." James suddenly demanded, ignoring his sudden drowsiness.

"Not yet, James…you are still too weak to get out of bed," Remus said firmly, "And the healers are going to want to have a look at the both of you."

James opened his mouth to protest, but a loud yawn escaped him, and he could feel his eyes drooping. Before he could even think up a good argument, he found himself drifting off into an unwanted sleep, his thoughts focused solely on his son.

Sirius wasn't far behind James, and he too found himself succumbing to the darkness that gathered at the edges of his brain. _Damn these bloody sleeping potions…_he thought to himself frustratingly as he fell asleep.

_**Ministry of Magic**_

Minivera sighed as she left the Minister's office. It had taken considerable persuasion, and a look into her pensieve (the Minister had wanted hardcore proof of her meeting with Narcissa Malfoy), but Scrimgeour had finally relented, and agreed not to arrest Draco Malfoy.

Rubbing her temples, Minivera walked through the main lobby, unable to completely ignore the excited talk that came from around her.

"Did you hear?" One excited wizard spoke to a huddled group, "The Potter's escaped You-Know-Who! They're at St. Mungo's right now!"

"I'll do you one better!" A haughty looking witch replied, "You remember Sirius Black? The one that was cleared of all those murders right after he died? Well he isn't actually dead; he was with the Potter's when they were found."

There were murmurs of disbelief throughout the ever growing crowd.

"I heard that Malfoy's son got them out…can you believe that? Lucius Malfoy is practically You-Know-Who's right hand man…from what I've heard at least…" Someone else said, "Almost don't believe it…"

"I bet them disappearin' was a conspiracy cooked up by da Ministry n' the Potter's," a dirty looking wizard with broken glasses whispered, "probably to trick You-Know-'hoo…throw 'im offa the Potter's...let them escape quick like…"

Sparks of outrage immediately went off throughout the group. "Don't be ridiculous, Pat! The Ministry would never…the Potter's wouldn't run…you've drunk too much fire whisky in your lifetime, you have!" One witch spluttered, "Positively mad you are!"

Minivera groaned and circled around the statue and out of earshot, unable to stand the gossiping group. Ignoring the looks she was getting, she marched towards the closest available fireplace. Stepping into the green flames, she shouted, "St. Mungo's!" before being swept away in a swirl of color.

* * *

_So, it's a bit longer to make up for the previous, short update. Hope you enjoyed it, hopefully I didn't miss too many typo's or grammar mistakes...Next chapter we'll see if Harry makes it…_

_I should reassure you now that the action isn't quite over, more angst and drama to come everyone! _

_Till next time!_


	27. Recovering

_The long wait for this was atrocious I know…my apologies. I'm not at all happy with this chapter…especially after such a painfully long wait, but I decided (after much thought) to post it simply as a reassurance that this story will __**not**__ be abandoned even though all the books are out. This __**WILL**__ be finished…no matter how long it takes me! _

_Alright, so my medical knowledge sucks (although I could talk for hours about Canadian law lol) and all grammar and spelling mistakes are my own. I do not own Harry Potter, as you may have already assumed! _

**To Rise Again**

_**Chapter 26- Recovering **_

Minivera walked briskly though the main entrance of the hospital. A group of journalists, most of them from the Daily Prophet, swarmed around her immediately. The older witch gave them all a furious glare, one that clearly said to back off. 

Most of the wizards and witches quailed under her narrowed eyes and thinned lips, and soon only one of them was trailing behind her.

"Professor McGonagall!" The sickly sweet voice of the female witch called breathlessly, "What can you tell me about the Potters'? Is it true that Draco Malfoy turned from he-who-must-not-be-named? Was Sirius Black with them?" 

Minivera spun around sharply to face the blonde witch, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Skeeter, if you don't walk away this _instant_, I _will_ transfigure you into something very unpleasant!" She growled.

Rita Skeeter merely batted her eyelashes and sighed dramatically. "My readers deserve their story, Headmistress," She replied, "Are you ready to _deny_ them the biggest story of the year?"

"You bet I am," Minivera spat, "You will come no where near the Potters', Malfoy _or_ Black. Do I make myself clear?"

Rita scowled, "Crystal."

Minivera watched the woman walk away before calling out, her face slightly smug, "Oh, and Skeeter? If I find a nasty story in tomorrows Daily Prophet, well…lets just say that miss Hermione Granger isn't the only one who knows about your…_bug problem_…"

Rita flushed a brilliant shade of red and whispered, "How'd you find out about that! She said she would never tell!"

"It's amazing what you learn when you pay attention," Minivera said with an uncharacteristic smirk before walking away. _I should have reported her to the Ministry when I found out, but what would have been the point? With Voldemort back the Ministry has a lot more to worry about than an unregistered animagus. _"Better to use my knowledge as blackmail…" She mused out loud as she stepped into the lift.

_**Harry and Draco's Room**_

Hermione, Ron and Ginny were sitting along Harry's bed silently. A few hours had gone by since Draco had fallen back asleep, and the three of them were extremely tired. The healers had come and gone, checking on Harry and Draco's vital signs silently.

Sirius and James had also been looked at, and it was confirmed that they would make full recoveries. 

Ginny, who had been close to dozing off in her chair, jerked her head up quickly when she heard the shuffling of blankets. Disappointment ran through her when she realized that Harry had not stirred. Turning around, she and the other two watched quietly as Draco woke up for the second time that day. 

Once again, it was Hermione who rose first and walked over to the bed, Ron trailing behind her hesitantly. Ginny did not move from her chair, keeping her hand firmly planted in Harry's limp one.

Draco blinked a few times before focusing his gaze on her. "Granger?" He whispered hoarsely.

Hermione nodded her head and replied, "Yeah. Do you remember waking up earlier?"

The blond teen nodded his head wearily, "'m at St. Mungo's…what time is it?" _How long have I been out for?_

"Well, we found you guys at around four…and it's just past nine now…" 

Draco barely had time to react to this news, for hushed voices could soon be heard outside the door. 

"Professor McGonagall." Hermione mouthed, causing all of them to fall deathly silent.

"_Is Mr. Malfoy awake?" _

A healer's voice answered automatically, "_He may not be right now, but he woke earlier, and from what his friends tell me he was very aware of his surroundings and completely coherent."_

"…_and Mr. Potter?" _

"_There has been no change."_

A definite sigh of disappointment could be heard through the door, and the headmistress said quietly, _"I need to speak with Mr. Malfoy in private."_

"_Yes, yes of course, go right on in." _

Draco felt his stomach lurch, _are they going to arrest me? Where is my mother? _

"Don't worry, Draco. I'm sure everything will be fine." Hermione said soothingly as she placed a hand on his shoulder. She was slightly surprised when the man didn't shy away from her touch. 

"She's right, Malfoy. Hermione is always right." Ron added, his arms crossed as he stood behind his girlfriend. 

Draco tensed when the door opened, and he fought madly to not start shaking right then and there. Looking at Hermione, he relaxed slightly under her reassuring smile, surprising himself. 

"It's good to see you up, Mr. Malfoy. How do you feel?" Minivera asked, stopping by his bedside as she looked over the young man.

Draco swallowed the lump of fear that had lodged itself into his throat and whispered, "I'm better, professor…a little tired though." _Please don't arrest me, please don't arrest me…_

Minivera turned to Ron, Hermione and Ginny, "I need you three to leave for bit, I need to speak to Draco in private." She caught the longing looks that they sent towards Harry's bed and added gently, "I won't be long."

Ginny rose from her chair and muttered, "C'mon guys…lets see how Sirius and James are doing." 

Ron and Hermione nodded and filed out the door quietly, closing it with a sharp snap.

Minivera took Hermione's vacant seat and looked at Draco, her face was calm but her eyes betrayed her emotions. 

"Professor… will I be getting arrested?" Draco voiced his fear, his voice sounding much too timid to his own ears. 

Minivera shook her head slowly, "No, the Minister for Magic has withdrawn the warrant for your arrest. It took some persuasion but I managed to convince him." _Yeah, a lot of persuasion…_

Draco raised his eyebrows in shock, "But…why?"

"The Order knows what you did for the Potters, Mr. Malfoy. Your mother came to us for help when she realized what you had done; she knew that Voldemort and his followers would be on the lookout for you. I swore to her that I would do whatever I could to protect you."

"My mum….where is she?" Draco asked quickly, looking around the room as if expecting her to pop out from behind Harry's bed. 

"Draco…" Minivera started, her voice too gentle for his liking, "your mother…I'm sorry son, she was killed recently, aurors believe it was a death eater attack, close to Hogwarts…"

Draco felt his too pale face lose its remaining colour, and his stomach lurched alarmingly at his former teacher's words. "No…" he moaned, his head dropping to his chest, "they killed her….th-they _killed_ her! It's my fault!"

Minivera felt her eyes narrow and she spoke sharply, "It was _not_ your fault, Draco. You did the right thing, don't you dare blame yourself for the evils of others, I refuse to listen to it!"

Draco swallowed and nodded, unable to look up, too afraid that she would see his watering eyes. "I…I just…I can't….oh god…" He choked, hot tears spilling down his cheeks before he could stop them. _I'm all alone…all alone…_

Before she could register what she was doing, Minivera found herself pulling the teen into a hug, allowing him to sob uncharacteristically on her shoulder. "It'll be alright, everything will be fine…" She spoke softly, hoping her soothing words were true. 

Draco didn't notice that he was crying on the Headmistress' shoulder until his sobs had subsided nearly twenty minutes later. "Uh…I'm sorry…" He mumbled awkwardly. She in turn simply shook her head with a small smile on her face, obviously rejecting his unneeded apology. 

Sighing, Draco lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes. His brief burst of emotion had drained him quickly and his chest was quite sore. 

"Sleep, Draco," Minivera ordered lightly.

"Where will I go? I can't go back to the mansion…dad…he wants to kill me…I know it…" Draco asked meekly, looking much younger than his years. 

"The Order will happily provide protection, and Molly Weasley has already offered her home to you. But now you need to rest and recover, you are still sick, we'll worry about everything else after all four of you are out of the hospital."

Draco nodded his head, and immediately succumbed to the pain-numbing darkness that awaited him. 

Minivera sat with the sleeping man for a few minutes before moving to Harry's bed, she stared at the once lively teen and shook her head sadly. _You have to make it though this, Harry; it will kill so many people if you don't…_ Sighing heavily, the aging Headmistress left the room half an hour later, praying that both boys would make it through the rough path that lay ahead. 

_**The Following Day, Late Afternoon**_

James, with Arthur's assistance, slowly made his way across the hall, his legs too weak to support his own weight. He was finally going to see both his son and Draco after a long battle with the healers. It wasn't until he had grabbed one of their wands as they examined him and threatened to hex them right then and there did they allow him to get out of bed. 

Sirius was right behind James in a wheelchair, which was being pushed by Ginny. The idea of having to sit in one hadn't exactly pleased the former convict, but he was forced grudgingly into one when he realized that he couldn't stand without searing pain lancing through his leg. 

The two entered the room quietly, both of their gazes sweeping over the unconscious form of the youngest Potter. Draco was perched by his bedside, quietly staring at the far wall. He turned around at the sound of the door opening, and offered a small smile to the two older wizards.

"Malfoy." Sirius said awkwardly, it being his first time actually speaking to the boy. 

"You two alright?" Draco asked softly, his voice hoarse from the combined mixture of crying and pneumonia. 

Sirius mumbled a yes before turning to James, who had not stopped staring at his son since he had entered the room. "C'mon Prongs, go and see him." Sirius urged his friend quietly. 

Nodding dumbly, James stumbled heavily over to the bed, and sat down beside his son's prone frame. 

Sirius wheeled himself over, stroking Harry's limp hair as he said softly, "Hang in there Harry, we need you." 

Arthur looked at James pale face and suggested that they give the father and son some privacy. Everyone in the room agreed solemnly, knowing that James needed some time alone with his critically ill son. 

"Alright, Draco do you want to come and visit the other side of the hallway?" Arthur asked, smiling reassuringly, "I spoke to the healers, they said you improved a lot during the night and they don't mind you moving around a bit as long as you're in a wheelchair."

"I don't need a wheelchair." Draco protested, but agreed to leave his room anyways. 

After a few minutes of activity, James suddenly found himself sitting alone in the room with his son. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he brushed his fingers through Harry's hair and let out a small sigh. Taking hold of his hand, he said softly, "Hey son, I'm here…sorry it took me so long, damn healers gave me a sleeping potion and refused to let me out of bed…"

Harry didn't even twitch at the sound of his father's voice, but continued to breathe raggedly. 

"Listen Harry, I don't even know if you can here me right now…but you have to wake up kid. Ron, Hermione, Ginny…everyone really…they're all a mess, I'm sure they all truly thought that we were dead…_Please _son, you gotta wake up and let everyone know that you're okay. You don't want to let Voldemort win, do you? Wake up just to spite the evil bastard!" 

There was no change after James stopped talking, and the exhausted father dropped his head onto the bed and did the only thing he hadn't done so far; he sobbed bitterly into the bed sheets before falling into a restless sleep. 

_Harry looked around at his surroundings confusedly. Hadn't he been in the forest only a second ago? Blinking, the teen walked down the corridor, and gasped in horror when he realized he was back inside Voldemort's hideaway. Oh no, were we caught? No…that doesn't make sense, I would remember coming back here, and they wouldn't let me wander around…_

_An enraged roar shook Harry out of his confused thoughts, and he hid behind a door when Voldemort suddenly stormed from his chambers, Lucius trembling fearfully in his wake. It was then that Harry realized with startling clarity that he was having another vision. _

"_THEY WERE ABLE TO EVADE ALL OF MY DEATH EATERS AND FIND IT TO SAFETY!" Voldemort screamed to no one in particular. His voice dropping to a deadly whisper, he whipped around to face Lucius, "This is unacceptable, an embarrassment to me! Lucius, summon all of my servants, you will ALL be punished for this atrocity!"_

_Lucius nodded his head without a word. _

"_My attack on the school must now be postponed, to the very end of August at least, while we forge a new plan." _

"_What of the prophecy, milord?" Lucius spoke quietly._

_Voldemort waved his hand, "The Potter's will be too heavily guarded, it is too late for that. Harry Potter is human; therefore he can still be killed. The next time I meet that boy I will kill him instantly, I am sick of playing these foolish games. I'm sure that the boy will come when he learns that his precious school is under attack!"_

_Harry rubbed his temples as the conversation between Voldemort and Lucius began to fade, along with his surroundings. Groaning, he fell to his knees before the world tilted and went black. _

James awoke several hours later, and it took him a few seconds before he realized what had woken him up. His son was thrashing violently on the bed and whimpering in pain. Jumping to his feet, he gripped Harry's uninjured arm and attempted to sooth the young man.

Harry suddenly shot up from his bed with a gasp, before yelping in pain and falling back down. "Harry? HARRY? You with me kiddo?" James asked frantically. _Oh shit what's wrong with him? _

Groaning, Harry kept his eyes shut; but he was awake. He could smell the antiseptic in the air, could hear the beeping of his heart monitor and his father speaking to him, and he could definitely feel the pain that seemed to stretch throughout his entire body. "D-dad?" He whispered croakily as he finally forced his eyes open. 

James faced cracked into a huge smile, and he brushed Harry's hair away from his forehead, "Yeah Harry, it's me. How are you feeling?" _He's awake, he's awake, he's AWAKE!_

"Like I was tortured for a few months, you?" Harry replied with a tiny smile. 

James laughed shakily his voice cracking a little, "Yeah, same with me." _Damn, I never thought I'd be so happy to see those eyes again. _

Harry felt his eyelids closing again, and he yawned.

"Go back to sleep kiddo, I'll be here when you wake up." James said soothingly. He didn't actually want Harry to fall back asleep again, but it was obvious that the teen was still exhausted and probably still had some of the sleeping potion in his system.

Harry tried to resist dropping back off into oblivion, he needed to find out about Sirius and Malfoy, and tell his father about his vision. He needed to find out what had happened after he had lost consciousness and if everyone knew that they were okay…He battled as hard as he could, but he was no match against the potion, and felt himself falling asleep despite his efforts. 

James got up reluctantly; he had to tell the healers and everyone else the good news. With the help a chair, he managed to limp his way across the hall and into his own room, earning disapproving and worried looks from the group of people gathered inside. 

"James! You shouldn't be moving around on your own." Molly scolded.

James shot her a grin and said loudly, "He woke up." 

There was a collective gasp from the room, which was followed by an eruption of questions as everyone got to their feet.

James held up his hand for silence and spoke softly, "He was awake only for a minute, but he was coherent…I think he's going to be okay."

Ginny promptly burst into tears, Ron and Hermione were hugging each other tightly in happiness, and Sirius clapped Remus on the shoulder, a big grin on his face. Molly squeezed Draco's hand softly, and a ghost of a smile appeared on his pale face. 

Remus cleared his throat and blinked his eyes suspiciously before saying, "I'll go and tell the healers at the desk, be right back." He left the room after sending James a warm smile, Arthur on his heels.

James could feel his legs starting to shake from the exertion of standing up for too long, and he was quite grateful when Ron strode over and offered him a supportive shoulder. He sighed with relief when Ron guided him to the nearest chair and lowered him into it. "Thanks…" He mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

"No worries." Ron said with a shrug and a smile before sitting beside Hermione again. 

Molly suddenly let out a gasp, her hands flying to her mouth.

"Mum?" Ginny said questionably, worry evident in her voice. 

"I need to floo Minivera and Hagrid! Oh, and Remus and Tonks, Fred and George…oh dear..." Molly exclaimed with wide eyes. Before anyone in the room could reply, she hurried towards the door and exited quickly, muttering to herself along the way.

Ron shrugged nonchalantly as everyone stared after her. "She'll be back." He said out loud.

Remus returned not long thereafter, informing everyone that a healer had gone into Harry's room to do a quick examination while Arthur had gone off to help Molly. "Don't bother getting up James, she told us she would come in here when the exam is done and let us know how he's doing." He warned his longtime friend with a knowing look in his face. 

James made a face but nodded, but sighed and relaxed into his chair again. He didn't have to wait long before the healer entered the room, her eyes sweeping over the clipboard she held in her hands.

"Well, his condition has definitely improved." She announced to the anxious group, a small smile gracing her otherwise serious face. "His temperature has gone down significantly, and he is breathing much easier than yesterday. I woke him up, and he was coherent and able to answer all of my questions accurately…even had a few of his own." She ended with a slight frown. 

"Such as?" Sirius spoke up impatiently from his bed when she failed to elaborate. 

"First thing out of his mouth was where his father was, if everyone has 'gotten out' alright and when he could leave. I had to give him another dose of the sleeping potion just so that he'd stay in bed." She answered, the amusement and slight annoyance in her voice made quite obvious. 

"Well, he is his father's son," James said proudly before adding, "Can I see him now?" 

"Yeah, he'll be knocked out for another six hours or so at the least, and I only want a few visitors at a time. If his condition continues to improve throughout the rest of the day I will have him moved into this room. You all should be on complete bed rest, not moving across the hall fifty times a day." The healer replied, her voice stern as she scribbled something down on a piece of parchment. 

Glancing over at the quiet form of Draco, the witch said in a kind voice, "You'll be moved in here as well. It's a good thing these rooms were designed so big." 

Draco offered a small smile and thanks before staring at his hands awkwardly.

"I have to be getting on with my rounds…I will be back in a little while to check on the lot of you." She turned to James and Sirius and spoke warningly, "Now, I know you two are worried about Harry, but if I catch you out of bed more times than I like…I will drug you into oblivion and you won't wake up until the end of the month!" 

Sirius and James both scowled, but took her warning for what it was worth. Satisfied with herself, the older witch turned on her heel and strode from the room quickly.

She wasn't gone more than thirty seconds before a massive argument broke out between the people in the room, all of them wanting to be the first to see Harry. 

James smiled a little as the group bickered loudly, before rising to his feet shakily. Remus helped him walk towards the door, and the two made their way into the hall. Sirius, who had apparently noticed their subtle escape, yelled across the room childishly,

"Whoa! Guys, wait for me! I want to see him too! Would someone help me get out of this bloody bed for Merlin's sake?" 

**TBC **

_Huh…so that's that…this chapter was an utter bitch to right ladies and gentlemen…and I'm pretty sure it shows how much I struggled with it. Next chapter will feature a very awake Harry and we will figure out how Sirius is still alive. _

_Hopefully next chapter will be better, and once again…the action isn't over yet : ) I've got this whole story mapped out, just have to find the time to write it!_

_One more note…thank you to EVERYONE who continued to review this story and to those of you who sent my PM's...it meant a lot knowing how many people were still interested in reading it after such a long wait! _


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